Mayor of Galway
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The office of Mayor of Galway has existed, with a break of ninety-seven years, since it was inaugurated in 1485. The Mayor led Galway Corporation from 1485 to 1841 and 1937 to 2001, when it was renamed Galway City Council.
Previous to the creation of the mayorality, the town of Galway was ruled by a Provost or Sovereign, who were appointed by the Earls of Ulster. After the murder of the 3rd Earl in June 1333, the town was under the control of successive members of the Clanricarde line of the Burke family. This situation lasted until well into the 1400s. However, charters from Richard III (in 1396) and Edward IV (in 1364) gave the citizens of the town semi-independence from the Clanricardes.
The office of Mayor of Galway was created by a charter issued by King Richard III in December 1484 at the solicitation of merchants from the city's leading families, known as the Tribes of Galway. This made Galway a virtual city-state. Although it survived the turbulent 17th century, the massive corruption of the office led to its disestablishment in 1841, when Galway Corporation was relegated to the status of an Urban District Council, headed by a chairman. In 1937 Galway city regained its corporation status and the office of Mayor was re-installed.
Up to 1841, Mayors were elected in August and took office in September. Current practise is for the term of office to begin in June with the former Mayor presenting the Chain of Office to the incoming Mayor, thus formally inaugurating a new term. The process is repeated the following June, unless the same person is given a second consecutive term. The election is entirely in the hands of city councillors and not by popular vote.
[edit] Rulers and Officers of Galway 1230-1485
This link is a list of known city officials prior to 1485 gathered from surviving records.
[edit] Mayors of the Tribes 1485-1654
- 1485-86: Peirce Lynch fitz John
- 1486-87: Dominick Dubh Lynch fitz John
- 1487-88: John Blake
- 1488-89: Geoffrey Lynch
- 1489-90: John Lynch fitz John
- 1490-91: Robuck Lynch
- 1491-92: John Skerrett
- 1492-93: Thomas Lynch fitz Edmond
- 1493-94: James Lynch fitz Stephen
- 1494-95: John Lynch fitz Edmond
- 1495-96: Thomas Blake
- 1496-97: Walter Lynch fitz Robert
- 1497-98: Dominick Lynch fitz John
- 1498-99: Andrew Lynch
- 1499-00: James Lynch fitz Martin
- 1500-01: Geoffrey Lynch
- 1501-02: Robuck Lynch
- 1502-04: Edmond Deane
- 1504-05: Stephen Lynch fitz Dominick Dubh
- 1505-06: Walter Lynch fitz Thomas
- 1506-07: Thomas Bodkin
- 1507-08: Arthur Lynch
- 1508-09: Stephen Lynch fitz Dominick Dubh
- 1509-10: Stephen Lynch fitz James
- 1510-11: James Lynch fitz Stephen
- 1511-12: James Lynch fitz Geoffrey
- 1512-13: James Lynch fitz Martin
- 1513-14: Walter Lynch fitz Thomas
- 1514-15: Stephen Lynch fitz Walter
- 1515-16: James Lynch fitz Stephen
- 1516-17: Stephen Lynch fitz James
- 1517-18: Stepehn Lynch fitz Dominick Dubh
- 1518-19: John Bodkin
- 1519-20: Wylliam Martin fitz Thomas
- 1520-22: Martin Font
- 1522-23: Stephen Lynch fitz Dominick Dubh
- 1523-24: Stephen Lynch fitz James
- 1524-25: Adam Font
- 1525-26: William Martin
- 1526-27: Rychard Martin
- 1527-28: Willaim Morris
- 1528-29: John Lynch fitz Andrew
- 1529-30: Richard Gare Lynch
- 1530-31: John Oge Kirwan
- 1531-33: James Skerrett
- 1533-34: Richard Blake
- 1534-35: Thomas Kirwan
- 1535-37: Richard Martin
- 1537-38: Martin Lynch fitz James
- 1538-39: John French
- 1539-40: Arthur Lynch and Arthur French fitz Geoffrey
- 1540-41: Thomas Lynch
- 1541-42: Dominick Lynch
- 1542-43: Henry Joyce
- 1543-44: Jonathan Lynch
- 1544-45: Edmund Lynch
- 1545-46: Thomas Blake
- 1546-47: Stephen Lynch fitz Arthur
- 1547-48: Thomas Kirwan
- 1548-49: Dominick Lynch fitz John
- 1549-50: Thomas Oge Martin
- 1550-51: Richard Kirwan
- 1551-52: John Oge Lynch
- 1552-53: John Oge Lynch fitz Stephen
- 1553-54: Patrick Lynch
- 1554-55: Nicholas Lynch fitz Stephen
- 1555-56: Nicholas Blake
- 1556-57: William Skerrett
- 1557-58: James Oge Lynch
- 1558-59: Ambrose Lynch fitz Martin
- 1559-60: Thomas Blake
- 1560-61: Stephen Lynch fitz Arthur
- 1561-62: Nicholas Lynch fitz Stephen
- 1562-63: Thomas Blake
- 1563-64: Thomas Oge Martin
- 1564-65: Nicholas Blake
- 1565-66: Peter French fitz Valentine
- 1566-67: James Kirwan
- 1567-68: Edmond Kirwan
- 1568-69: Dominick French
- 1569-70: Givane Font
- 1570-71: Denis Kirwan
- 1571-72: Robuck Lynch
- 1572-73: John Lynch
- 1573-74: Pierce Lynch fitz Oliver
- 1574-75: Andrew Browne and James Kirwan
- 1575-76: Dominick Browne
- 1576-77: Peter French fitz John
- 1577-78: Pierce Lynch
- 1578-79: John Blake fitz Richard
- 1579-80: Martin French
- 1580-81: Dominick Lynch
- 1581-82: Peter Lynch fitz Marcus
- 1582-83: Robuck French fitz John
- 1583-84: Nicholas French
- 1584-85: Nicholas Lynch
- 1585-86: James Lynch fitz Arthur
- 1586-87: William Oge Martyn
- 1587-88: John Blake
- 1588-89: Andrew Morris
- 1589-90: Richard Browne
- 1590-91: James Lynch fitz Ambrose
- 1591-92: Ulick Lynch fitz Edmond
- 1592-93: Valentine French
- 1593-94: John Martin
- 1594-95: Rolande Skerrett
- 1595-96: Marcus Lynch fitz Nicholas
- 1596-97: Oliver Oge French
- 1597-98: Anthony Lynch fitz Marcus
- 1598-99: Nicholas Kirwan fitz Denis
- 1599-00: Michael Lynch
- 1600-01: Francis Martin fitz Thomas
- 1601-02: Christopher Lynch fitz George
- 1602-03: James Darcy and Christopher Lynch fitz George
- 1603-04: Marcus Lynch fitz Stephen
- 1604-05: Marcus French fitz John
- 1605-06: John Skerrett fitz William
- 1606-07: Edmond French fitz Robuck
- 1607-08: Richard Martin fitz William
- 1608-09: Stephen Kirwan
- 1609-10: Oliver Browne and Ullick Lynch
- 1610-11: Richard Bodkin
- 1611-12: Sir Valentine Blake and Richard Martin fitz William
- 1612-13: Sir Thomas Rotheram
- 1613-14: Walter Martin
- 1614-15: Nicholas Darcy
- 1615-17: Pierce Lynch fitz John Oge
- 1617-18: Francis French fitz Peter
- 1618-19: Nicholas Lynch fitz George
- 1619-20: James Darcy fitz James
- 1620-21: Andrew Lynch fitz John
- 1621-22: Robert Martin fitz Richard and Richard Martin fitz William
- 1622-23: Patrick Martin fitz Walter
- 1623-24: Marcus Oge French fitz Marcus
- 1624-25: Robert Blake fitz Walter
- 1625-26: Thomas Lynch fitz Nicholas
- 1626-27: James Lynch fitz Martin
- 1627-28: Sir Richard Blake fitz Richard
- 1628-29: John Lynch fitz Richard
- 1629-30: Nicholas Lynch fitz Jonathan
- 1630-31: Sir Valentine Blake
- 1631-32: George Martin fitz Walter
- 1632-33: Geoffrey Martin
- 1633-34: Patrick French
- 1634-35: Sir Dominick Browne
- 1635-36: Nicholas More Lynch fitz Marcus
- 1636-37: Anthony Lynch fitz James
- 1637-38: Sir Thomas Blake
- 1638-39: Sir Robuck Lynch
- 1639-40: John Bodkin fitz Dominick
- 1640-41: Francis Blake
- 1641-42: Walter Lynch fitz James
- 1642-43: Richard Martin fitz Oliver
- 1643-44: Sir Valentine Blake
- 1644-45: James Darcy fitz Nicholas
- 1645-46: Edmond Kirwan fitz Patrick
- 1646-47: John Blake fitz Nicholas
- 1647-48: Walter Browne
- 1648-49: Sir Walter Blake
- 1649-50: Thomas Lynch fitz Marcus
- 1650-51: Sir Oliver Oge French
- 1651-52: Richard Kirwan fitz Thomas
- 1652-53: Michael Lynch fitz Stephen
- 1653-54: Martine Lynch fitz Anthony
- 1654-54: Thomas Lynch fitz Ambrose
[edit] Mayors of the Commonwealth 1654-1660
- 1654-55:
[edit] Mayors of the Restoration 1660-1686
- 1660-61:
[edit] Jabobite Mayors 1686-1691
- 1686-87:
[edit] Mayors of the Penal Era 1691-1762
- 1691-92:
[edit] Mayors of the Daly Regime 1762-1840
- 1762-63:
- 1763-64:
- 1764-65:
- 1765-66:
- 1766-67:
- 1767-68:
- 1768-69:
- 1769-70:
- 1770-71:
- 1780-81:
- 1790-91:
- 1800-01:
- 1810-11:
- 1820-21:
- 1830-31:
- 1840-41: Edmond Blake (last of the "old" mayors)
[edit] Galway Urban District Council 1840-1937
Galway Corporation was abolished in 1841, not to be restored until 1937.
[edit] The Mayoralty Restored: Mayors since 1937
- 1937-49: Joseph J. Costello
- 1949-51: Michael O'Flaherty
- 1951-52: Michael Lydon
- 1952-53: Joseph Owens
- 1953-54:
- 1954-55:
- 1955-56:
- 1956-57:
- 1957-58:
- 1958-59:
- 1959-60:
- 1960-61:
- 1961-62:
- 1962-63:
- 1963-64:
- 1964-65:
- 1965-66:
- 1966-67:
- 1967-68:Thomas Tierney
- 1968-69: Robert (Bobby) Molloy
- 1969-70:
- 1970-71:
- 1980-81: Bridie O'Flaherty
- July 1981-December 1981: David Claude Toft
- December 1981-82: Michael D. Higgins
- 1982-83: Pat McNamara
- 1983-84: Michael Leahy
- 1984-85: Mary Byrne
- 1985-86: Bridie O'Flaherty
- 1986-87: John Mulholland
- 1987-88: Martin Connolly
- 1988-89: Fintan Coogan
- 1989-90: Angela Lupton
- 1990-91: Michael D. Higgins, Labour Party
- 1991-92: Michael Leahy
- 1992-93: Padraic McCormack, Fine Gael
- 1993-94: Henry O'Connor
- 1994-95: Fintan Coogan
- 1995-96: Michael O'hUiginn
- 1996-97: John Mulholland
- 1997-98: Michael Leahy
- 1998-99: Angela Lynch
- 1999-00: Declan McDonnell
- 2000-01: Martin Quinn
- 2001-02: Donal Lyons
- 2002-03: Val Hanley
- 2003-04: Terri O'Flaherty
- 2004-05: Catherine Connolly
- 2005-06: Brian Walsh
- 2006-06: Niall Ó Brolcháin, Green Party/Comhaontas Glas
