HomeEventsTour St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church
24th February - 26th February | 10:00 - 17:00

Tour St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church

This is your opportunity to learn all about St Nicholas Church with guided tours each Thursday Friday & Saturday from 10am to 5pm.

The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland in continuous use as a place of worship and is at the heart of Galway’s life. A tour through the church will allow you to glimpse part of its rich history. You will see signs of the iconoclasm of the soldiers of Oliver Cromwell. But, by contrast, should you visit during one of the many acts of worship you will see and hear the present-day richness of the liturgy where sound and colour fill the delightful medieval building. Perhaps such liturgies are not that far removed from the sights, sounds and smells that graced St Nicholas centuries ago.

There are many interesting and entertaining monuments and memorials in the church. The baptismal font is over 400 years old and the dog carved into its side still keeps an eye on Galway’s newest citizens as they are baptised. The oldest inhabitant of the church is Adam Bures, whose grave marker dates from the 13th century and is fondly known as the Crusader. High above the north aisle is perched the Lepers’ Gallery which gives access to the Belfry.

On the outside of the church one can see two mermaids, a dragon, an ape and a magnificent lion. High at the roof edge are a series of stone gargoyles, some of them richly carved into horses heads, a manticora, human heads and another lion.

Amongst the visitors to St Nicholas’ over the centuries the most famous is probably Christopher Columbus, who likely prayed here during a visit to Galway in 1477. Less welcome were the Cromwellian troops who used the church as a stable for their horses after the siege of Galway in 1652. They are blamed for the headless and handless state of most of the carved figures inside the church.

Beautiful feature photo by Cathy G Photos

Event Date
24th February 2022 - 26th February 2022
Event Time
10:00 - 17:00
Event Category Venue
St. Nicholas Collegiate Church
Location
City Centre
Event Address
St. Nicholas Collegiate Church,
Lombard St,
Galway,

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Ticket Price
FREE
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