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Galway History
The city grew with a small fishing village to an important walled town, under the Richard de Burgo, and captured territory from the local O'Flahertys in 1232. Galway became something of an outpost in Ireland's 'wild west'. In 1396, Richard II granted a charter to the city, effectively transferring power from the de Burgos to 14 merchant families or 'tribes' - hence the informal sobriquet 'City of the Tribes', by which Galway is still known. A massive fire in 1473 destroyed much of the town but created space for a new street layout, and many solid stone buildings were erected in the 15th and 16th centuries. It's said that Christopher Columbus tarried in Galway to hear Mass and pray at the Collegiate Church of St Nicholas of Myra. This Galway side trip supposedly occurred either because one of the crew was a Galway man or because Columbus wished to investigate tales of St Brendan's earlier voyage to the Americas from here. English power throughout the region waxed and waned, but the city maintained its independent status under the ruling merchant families, who were mostly loyal to the English Crown. Galway's population received a boost at the beginning of the 20th century as tourists returned to the city and student numbers grew. In 1934, health and hygiene became top priority and the cobbled streets and thatched cabins of Claddagh - a tiny Galway fishing community with a culture and customs all of its own - were tarred and flattened in the name of progress. Now the Galway once again become the prosperous city, during summer, its street and restaurant hum to the sound of tourists eager to enjoy one of its many festivals and sample the local seafood.
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