Freeman’s Journal, Sydney, 30th December, 1863 p. 6
HISTORICAL NOTES OF GALWA¥.
The collegiate church of St. Nicholas was founded in the year 1320, and to this day, in its extent and architectural beauty attests the piety, wealth, and public spirit of its founders. The office of warden has been filled by many learned and pious divines; but as each warden was elected perennially by the lay patrons of the town, considerable ill-feeling was, at time, excited between the ‘tribes’ and ‘ non tribes,’ in the election of their particular representatives. Much dissatisfaction arose from these disputes, which were not unfrequently carried to Rome. At length, in 1831, the wardenship was abolished by the Pope, and Galway was erected into a Bishopric. Edmund French, a convert to the Catholic church, being the last warden of Galway.
In 1296, Sir William de Burgh (the grey) founded the Franciscan Monastery, in St. Stephen’s Island without the north gate; he died A.D. 1324, and was interred in the abbey. In 1513, Maurice O’Fihely known as ‘Flosmundi,’ the flower of the world, died and was interred in this monastery. His monument still exists and is pointed out to the visitor.
In 1857, all the buildings of the abbey were demolished, except the church, in which assizes were held. In 1678, the members of this and the other religious houses of the town were banished, but afterwards gradually returned, and for many years felt the full force of the penal laws, suffering the most severe persecutions, being frequently cast into prison, tried, transported, and frequently in danger of their lives. Galway was one of the chief places in Ireland which afforded refuge to the proscribed ecclesiastics of the religious orders, until the mitigation of the penal laws.
The Dominican friary is situated on an elevated spot near the sea shore, in the west part of the town, on the site of an ancient convent of St. Mary of the bill,’ a daughter of the Holy Trinity of the Premonstrances of Tuam, which was founded by the O’Hallorans. The inhabitants of the town having petitioned Pope Innocent the VIII., it was granted to the Dominicans of Athenry 1488. It was afterwards richly endowed, and considerable additions were made to the church and monastery.
James Lynch Fitstephen was mayor of Galway in 1493, and became celebrated for having with his own hands executed his only son, who had taken the life of a young Spaniard, the guest of the mayor, lie erected the choir of this church.
In 1642, Lord Forbes landed at Galway and took possession of this church, which he converted into a battery with a design of reducing the town. Failing in this, he defaced the church, and in his brutal rage dug up the graves and burned the coffins and, bones of the dead. In 1652, the friars surrendered their church and monastery to the corporation, which were soon after razed to the ground, lest they should be converted into a fortification by the troops. of Cromwell and used against the town.
The Augustinian friary was situated on an eminence near the sea, in the south suburbs of the town, within a few hundred yards of the walls. It was founded in 1508, by Margaret Ashby, wife of Stephen Lynch. Fitz Dominick, at the instance of Richard Nangle, an Augustinian hermit, who afterwards became Archbishop of Tuam.
In 1570, Queen Elizabeth granted to the corporation part of the possessions of this monastery there lately dissolved. James I., in 1603, granted all its possessions to Sir George Carew for ever.
The friars on the suppression of the monastery, removed to a large house within the town which they occupied for many years. The Church remained standing, and on the building of St. Augustine’s fort in 1652, it was destroyed lest it should be fortified against the town. Since then not a vestige of it remains.
Knights Templars were established beyond the east gate. The order was suppressed in 1312 and its possessions given to the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem. The Franciscan nunnery of St. Clare was established in 1511, by Walter Lynch Fitz Thomas, who was mayor of Galway in 1504. He gave to his daughter a dwelling house near the church of St. Nicholson, which, was afterwards known as the house of the poor nuns of the third order of St. Francis.
The Burren and Beyond 