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St Nicholas Church
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The Collegiate Church of St.
Nicholas is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland in
continuous use as a place of worship.
It was founded in 1320,
dedicated (like many other European churches in seaports) to
Saint Nicholas of Myra, the patron saint of seafarers. The
church now belongs to the Church of Ireland. |
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The church was raised to the status of a collegiate church
by letters under the seal of Donatus O'Murray, the
Archbishop of Tuam, on September 28, 1484, the same year in
which Galway was granted a Royal Charter and given mayoral
status. The granting of collegiate status was confirmed on
September 8, 1485, by a papal bull issued by Pope Innocent
VIII (Super Dominicum Gregem). Both events were commemorated
in the Galway quincentennial year, 1984.
The granting of collegiate status in 1484 required that the
City of Galway, and some surrounding parishes, be severed
from the Archdiocese of Tuam. The priests of the city were
constituted into a College of Vicars, the senior of whom was
to called the warden. The warden, a position and title
unique in Irish ecclesiastical history, was the spiritual
leader of the city and was entitled wear attire
traditionally associated with a bishop (such as the mitre
and crosier), while not having the power of ordination. The
warden and eight assisting vicars choral were elected every
year in August by the mayor and members of the Corporation
(city council) as then constituted. The warden presented
himself for election every year; there was to be an election
for the post of vicar only when there was a vacancy. The
vicars were elected from the secular clergy, for life. The
clergy were to be learned, virtuous and well-bred, and were
to observe the English rite and custom in the Divine
Service.
Over the centuries, St. Nicholas' has played a central role
in the life of the city. For many years, the triennial
elections of the mayor and corporation (city council) were
held within its walls. Only male members of 14 select Galway
families, known as the
Tribes of Galway, had suffrage.
Local legend states that Christopher Columbus worshipped
there when he visited the city in 1477. |
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