Great Galway School

Connacht Tribune, June 7, 1930.

Lecture by University College Professor.

Recent Article

Dr. T. B. Costello, Tuam, presided at the annual meeting of the Galway Archaeological Society held in the Chamber of Commerce Buildings on Wednesday evening.

Mrs. O'Donovan O'Sullivan, Professor of History in Galway University College, read a paper on "The Lay School at Galway in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries." She said that it was in 1566 the project for establishing a great school at Galway first took shape. On May 30 of that year Sir Henry Sydney wrote from Kilmainham to the English Privy Council saying he had received a petition from the inhabitants of Galway "and chiefly in the name of one Dominick Lynch, a pryncypall merchant of that towne," asking that a free school be established. Lynch requested the "site of a ruined house called Erlestone" for the school. This was the old castle of Richard de Burgo and the ruin is marked on the old map of Galway made in the reign of Charles II. And would be about the region of the present Custom House. Sydney bears testimony to the cultured outlook of the inhabitants of Galway generally and pays a tribute to the upright character, generosity, and zeal for learning and pride in his native town of Dominick Lynch, the merchant who offered to endow the school. The school, instead of becoming an outpost of Protestantism in the West, as Sydney contemplated, became a very active centre of Catholic interests. Elizabeth granted the revenues asked for, for the school, but she does not seem to have given the site demanded, namely, the ruined castle of Earlstone for there is evidence that the school was actually erected at a place near the Quay called "Ceann—a—balla" (head of the wall) which corresponds to the head of the town wall near the Spanish Arch where a fortification was afterwards erected.

1,200 Scholars

The school, apparently, was dedicated to St. Nicholas, and the first schoolmaster was a Catholic and a native of Galway town, Alexander Lynch. He was a man of considerable learning and brought together some students who were destined to become some of the most distinguished scholars of the day. The following entry is found in the annals of Galway: "A.D. 1608, at this period there was a famous school containing 1,200 scholars kept in Galway by Alexander Lynch." Whilst Irish had a most prominent place in the school, if not, indeed, the most promising place, English and classics, especially Latin, were also taught. Galway in a short time became the intellectual centre of Ireland. But the finest tribute to the Galway school is the number of distinguished men who were educated there, including Donald Mac Firbis, Dr. John Lynch, Roderick O'Flaherty, Francis Browne, Patrick Darcy, the celebrated lawyer, and others. On the surrender of Galway to Cromwell's forces in 1652 the school of St. Nicholas came to an end.

"We in Galway," concluded the speaker, "have at least an intellectual tradition unequalled by any other town in Ireland and of which has left a permanent imprint on the city and given it that cultured, liberal character which makes it, even at the present day, one of the most delightful places in the world to live in" applause).

Proposing a vote of thanks to the lecturer, the Rev. Professor Hynes, Registrar, Galway University College , said that the school had done excellent work, and said it was, perhaps, due to it that we have a University College of our own in Galway. Father Hynes then went on to refer to an article by Mrs. Donovan O'Sullivan in the "Quarterly Review," portion of which was reproduced in "The Connacht Sentinel" on Tuesday, and in which she referred to the Government's policy regarding the Irish language. "The article was extremely interesting," continued Father Hynes, "but one point with which I did not find myself in agreement was reproduced in "The Connacht Sentinel". —Prof. O'Sullivan: It was most unfortunate. — Continuing, Father Hynes said he could not blame the newspapers for reproducing the one point of the article which was controversial, for newspapers deal in controversies. He congratulated her upon the paper she had read for them that evening. Mr. M. Tighe seconded the vote of thanks, to which Mr. Eraut and the chairman also spoke, and it was carried with acclamation.