Home | Site Map | Oct 10, 2008

St Nicholas' was established around 1320 and is named for St Nicholas of Myra, the patron Saint of seafarers. Local legand has it that Chistopher Columbus prayed here before he set out on his voyage to the new world.

Over the centuries it has alternated between being a Protestant and a Catholic Church but is nowadays part of the Protestant Church of Ireland. In spite of this it retains the 'collegiate' title (a designation  similar to a cathedral but without a bishop) which was given to it by Pope Innocent the 8th in 1485.

    It was altered considerably with the passage of time, but inside there are many artifacts from its long past still standing, including the 12th-century tomb of a crusader with a rare Norman inscription, a stone lectern with barley-sugar twist columns dating form the 15th century and a 16th century carved babtismal font.

St Nicholas has always had a central role in Galway life. For many years it was the location for the election of the Mayor, and today it is an occasional venue for classical and church music concerts. The bustling Galway Market is held just outside the Church every Saturday morning.

In 2005 while the nearby Catholic Church of St Augustine was undergoing renovation, St Nicolas was made available for the celebration of Mass for the displaces parishoners, a notable acumenical gesture. This was the first time that Catholic services had been held in the church for 200 years.

Location Map for The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas

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