St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church

St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland still in use for regular worship. It was founded in 1320 and has been in continuous use since, surviving the Cromwellian period when it was used as a stable and cavalry barracks. The building is a textbook of medieval and later Irish ecclesiastical architecture — three naves, carved stone details, and a series of memorial slabs and tombs to the merchant families who ran Galway for centuries.

The interior is surprisingly large and well-maintained. The carved stonework includes some remarkable detail on the pillars and arches, and the Lynch Memorial Window commemorates the infamous Mayor Lynch who supposedly hanged his own son for murder in 1493. The church is open daily for visiting between services; there is often a small guided tour available on weekday mornings. Entry is free; donations are requested.

things to do sight architecture
A story
According to a persistent local tradition, Christopher Columbus prayed at St. Nicholas' before his 1492 voyage to the Americas — possibly accompanied by a Galway man named William Ayers who joined the expedition. There is no historical proof of this, but the story captures something true about Galway's history as a trading city with Atlantic connections. A plaque in the church commemorates the tradition.

Other places in Things to Do