GALWAY, a municipal and parliamentary borough of Ireland, a seaport, and county of itself, stands at the mouth of the river Corrib on the n. shore of Galway bay, 50 m. n.n.w. from Limerick, and 130 m. w.s. w. from Dublin. It is built on both sides of the river, and on two islands in its channel, its parts being united by two bridges. It is connected with lough Corrib by a canal, and forms the terminus of the Midland Great Western railway. A line of steamers for a time plied between G. and North America, seven days being considered the usual time for a fair passage. The old town of G. is poorly built and irregular, and some of its older houses have a somewhat Spanish appearance, which is accounted for by the commercial intercourse which at one time subsisted between G. and Spain. To one of these houses, which is marked with a sloth and crossbones, a very remarkable story is attached, of a mayor of G., James Lyrch Fitzstephen, who, in 1493, like Brutus of old, condemned his own son to death tor murder, and in order to prevent his being rescued, actually caused him to be hanged from his own window. The new town consists of well-phinned and spacious streets, and is built on a rising-ground, which slopes gradually toward the sea and the river. The suburbs are mainly collections of wretched cabins, inhabited by a poor class of people. One of these suburbs, called Claddagh, is inhabited by fishermen, who exclude all strangers from their society, and marry within their own circle. These fishermen still speak the Irish language, and the Irish costume is still worn by the women. They annually elect a "mayor," whose function it is to administey the laws of their fishery, and to superintend all internal regulations. One of the principal build ings of G. is the parish church of St. Nicholas, founded in 1320, in connection with which is an ecclesiastical body called the royal college of Galway, consisting of a warden and eight vicars choral, who are elected by the Protestant members of the cor poration. In the Roman Catholic church a similar ecclesiastical arrangement formerly existed. The see of Enachdune, of which G. formed a part, was united to that of
Tuam in 1324; but in 1484, G. was constituted a wardenship. with a distinct jurisdic tion, similar to that of an episcopal see. The wardenship, in later times, was held by one'of the bishops of sees. The right of electing thawarden, however, was vested in certain Catholic clans or families of the town—Makes, Bodkins, Lynches, Frenches, etc,—who, by a curious local custom, were distributed into 13 tribes. This singular system continued in use until about 50 years ago; when, in 1831, the warden-, ship of G. was erected into an episcopal see, the bishop of which is appointed as other bishops in Ireland. the other edifices are three monasteries and five nunneries; the queen's college, opened in 1849; Erasmus Smith's college, with an endowed income of £126.a year; the county court-house; barracks, etc. G. has numerous flour and other mills, also breweries, distilleries. foundries, etc., extensive salmon and sea fishing, a good harbor, with docks that admit vessels of 500 tons, and a light-house. The exports consist mainly of corn, flour, bacon, fish, kelp, and marble. In 1876, 363 vessels of 81,590 tons, entered and cleared the port. G. returns two members to parlia ment. Pop. (1861) of towu,16,786; of pail. b., 24,990; which showed a decrease, since 1851, of 7,001 in the former, and of 9,156 in the latter. The population of town (1871) was 15,597. of whom 14,424 were Roman Catholics, 846 Episcopalians, 171 Presby terians, and the rest of other denominations.
G. was taken by Richard de Burgo in 1232, and the ancestors of many of the leading families now resident in this quarter settled here about that time. From the 13th till the middle of the 17th c.. G. continued to rise in commercial importance. During the latter part of the 17th c., it suffered considerably for its adherence to the royalist cause. In it was taken by sir Charles Coote after a blockade of several months; and in July, 1691, it was compelled to surrender to gen. Ginkell.