The office of Mayor of Galway is an honorific title used by the Irish: Cathaoirleach of Galway City Council. The Council has jurisdiction throughout its administrative area of the city of Galway which is the largest city in the province of Connacht, in Ireland. The office was originally established by a charter issued by King Richard III of England in December 1484 and had significant powers. The office was all but abolished under the Local Government Act 2001. All that remains of the office, per section 11 of the Act is a symbolic role: "Subject to this Act, royal charters and letters patent relating to local authorities shall continue to apply for ceremonial and related purposes in accordance with local civic tradition but shall otherwise cease to have effect.". The Act goes on to state the chairman of the Council must be styled the Cathaoirleach and that "Any reference in any other enactment to the lord mayor, mayor, chairman, deputy lord mayor, deputy mayor or vice-chairman or cognate words shall, where the context so requires, be read as a reference to the Cathaoirleach or Leas-Chathaoirleach or other title standing for the time being." (section 31 (3)).
The Cathaoirleach is elected to office annually by councillors of Galway City Council from amongst its members. There is no popular vote. Up to 1841, Mayors were elected in August and took office in September. There was a strong tradition of festivities to mark this start of a new municipal year. 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 office 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 again from 1937 to 2001.
Previous to the creation of the mayoralty, the town of Galway was ruled by a Provost or Sovereign, who were appointed by the Earl 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 House of Burke family. This situation lasted until well into the 15th century. 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 of England 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 the city regained its corporation status and the office of Mayor was re-installed.
1485–86: Peirce Lynch fitz John1486–87: Dominick Dubh Lynch fitz John1487–88: John Blake fitz William1488–89: Geoffrey Lynch1489–90: John Lynch fitz John1490–91: Robuck Lynch1491–92: John Skerrett1492–93: Thomas Lynch fitz Edmond1493–94: James Lynch fitz Stephen1494–95: John Lynch fitz Edmond1495–96: Thomas Blake1496–97: Walter Lynch fitz Robert1497–98: Dominick Dubh Lynch fitz John1498–99: Andrew Lynch1499-00: James Lynch fitz Martin1500–01: Geoffrey Lynch1501–02: Robuck Lynch1502–04: Edmond Deane1504–05: Stephen Lynch fitz Dominick Dubh1505–06: Walter Lynch fitz Thomas1506–07: Thomas Bodkin1507–08: Arthur Lynch1508–09: Stephen Lynch fitz Dominick Dubh1509–10: Stephen Lynch fitz James1510–11: James Lynch fitz Stephen1511–12: James Lynch fitz Geoffrey1512–13: James Lynch fitz Martin1513–14: Walter Lynch fitz Thomas1514–15: Stephen Lynch fitz Walter1515–16: James Lynch fitz Stephen1516–17: Stephen Lynch fitz James1517–18: Stephen Lynch fitz Dominick Dubh1518–19: John Bodkin fitz Richard1519–20: Wylliam Martin1520–22: Martin Font1522–23: Stephen Lynch fitz Dominick Dubh1523–24: Stephen Lynch fitz James1524–25: Adam Font1525–26: Wylliam Martin1526–27: Rychard Martin1527–28: William Morris1528–29: John Lynch fitz Andrew1529–30: Richard Gare Lynch1530–31: John Óge Kirwan1531–33: James Skerrett1533–34: Richard Blake1534–35: Thomas Kirwan1535–37: Rychard Martin1537–38: Martin Lynch fitz James1538–39: Seán an tSalainn French1539–40: Arthur Lynch fitz Andrew and Arthur French fitz Geoffrey1540–41: Thomas Lynch1541–42: Dominick Lynch1542–43: Henry Joyce1543–44: Jonathan Lynch1544–45: Edmund Lynch1545–46: Thomas Blake1546–47: Stephen Lynch fitz Arthur1547–48: Thomas Kirwan1548–49: Dominick Lynch fitz John1549–50: Thomas Óge Martyn1550–51: Richard Kirwan1551–52: John Óge Lynch1552–53: John Óge Lynch fitz Stephen1553–54: Patrick Lynch1554–55: Nicholas Lynch fitz Stephen1555–56: Nicholas Blake1556–57: William Skerrett1557–58: James Óge Lynch1558–59: Ambrose Lynch fitz Martin1559–60: Thomas Blake1560–61: Stephen Lynch fitz Arthur1561–62: Nicholas Lynch fitz Stephen1562–63: Thomas Blake1563–64: Thomas Óge Martyn1564–65: Nicholas Blake1565–66: Peter French fitz Valentine1566–67: James Kirwan1567–68: Edmond Kirwan1568–69: Dominick French1569–70: Givane Font1570–71: Denis Kirwan1571–72: Robuck Lynch1572–73: John Lynch1573–74: Pierce Lynch fitz Oliver1574–75: Andrew Browne and James Kirwan1575–76: Dominick Browne1576–77: Peter French fitz John1577–78: Pierce Lynch1578–79: John Blake fitz Richard1579–80: Martin French1580–81: Dominick Lynch1581–82: Peter Lynch fitz Marcus1582–83: Robuck French fitz John1583–84: Nicholas French1584–85: Nicholas Lynch1585–86: James Lynch fitz Arthur1586–87: William Óge Martyn1587–88: John Blake1588–89: Andrew Morris1589–90: Richard Browne1590–91: James Lynch1591–92: Ulick Lynch fitz Edmond1592–93: Valentine French1593–94: John Martin1594–95: Rolande Skerrett1595–96: Marcus Lynch fitz Nicholas1596–97: Oliver Óge French1597–98: Anthony Lynch fitz Marcus1598–99: Nicholas Kirwan fitz Denis1599-00: Michael Lynch1600–01: Francis Martin fitz Thomas1601–02: Christopher Lynch fitz George1602–03: James Riabhach Darcy and Christopher Lynch fitz George1603–04: Marcus Lynch fitz Stephen1604–05: Marcus French fitz John1605–06: John Skerrett fitz William1606–07: Edmond French fitz Robuck1607–08: Richard Martin fitz William1608–09: Stephen Kirwan1609–10: Oliver Browne and Ullick Lynch1610–11: Richard Bodkin1611–12: Sir Valentine Blake and Richard Martin fitz William1612–13: Sir Thomas Rotheram1613–14: Walter Martyn1614–15: Nicholas Darcy1615–17: Pierce Lynch fitz John Óge1617–18: Francis French fitz Peter1618–19: Nicholas Lynch fitz George1619–20: James Darcy fitz James1620–21: Andrew Lynch fitz John1621–22: Robert Martin and Richard Martin fitz William1622–23: Patrick Martin fitz Walter1623–24: Marcus Óge French fitz Marcus1624–25: Robert Blake fitz Walter1625–26: Thomas Lynch fitz Nicholas1626–27: James Lynch fitz Martin1627–28: Sir Richard Blake fitz Richard1628–29: John Lynch fitz Richard1629–30: Nicholas Lynch fitz Jonathan1630–31: Sir Valentine Blake fitz Thomas1631–32: George Martin fitz Walter1632–33: Geoffrey Martin1633–34: Patrick French1634–35: Sir Dominick Browne1635–36: Nicholas Mór Lynch fitz Marcus1636–37: Anthony Lynch fitz James1637–38: Sir Thomas Blake1638–39: Sir Robuck Lynch1639–40: John Bodkin fitz Dominick1640–41: Francis Blake1641–42: Walter Lynch fitz James1642–43: Richard Óge Martyn1643–44: Sir Valentine Blake1644–45: James Darcy fitz Nicholas1645–46: Edmond Kirwan fitz Patrick1646–47: John Blake fitz Nicholas1647–48: Walter Browne1648–49: Sir Walter Blake1649–50: Thomas Lynch fitz Marcus1650–51: Sir Oliver Óge French1651–52: Richard Kirwan fitz Thomas1652–53: Michael Lynch fitz Stephen1653–54: Martine Lynch fitz Anthony1654: Tomás Lynch fitz AmbroseCommonwealth and Restoration (1654–91)
1654: Peter Stubbers1655: Humphrey Hurd1656: Paul Dodd1657: Gabriel King1658: Sir Charles Coote1659: John Mathews1660: John Morgan1661: John Eyre1662: Henry Greneway1663: Edward Eyre1664: John Morgan1665: John Spencer (till 1668)1669: John Peters1670: John May1671: Richard Ormsby1672: Gregory Constable (till 1673)1674: Theodore Russell (till 1685)1686: John Kirwan (fitz Stephen) (till 1687)1688: Dominick Browne (till 1689)1690: Alexandar McDonnell1691: Sir Henry Bellasyse1692-93: Thomas Revett1694-95: Thomas Simcokes1696: Thomas Cartwright1697-98: John Gerry1699: Thomas Andrews1700: Richard Browne1701-02: Thomas Staunton1703: James Ribett Vigie1704-05: John Eyre1707: Richard Wall1708: John Gibbs1709 Jarvis Hinds1710-11: Edward Eyre1712-13: Samuel Eyre1714-14: Robert Blakeney1716: Robert Coates1717-18: Mark Wall1719-20: Samuel Simcockes1721-22: William Hinde1723: James Ribett Vigie1724: George Gerry1725: George Staunton1726: Charles Gerry1727: Charles Revett1728: Richard Revett1729: John Gibbs1730: John Staunton1731: Walter Taylor1732: Charles Morgan1733: Geoffrey Cooke1734: John Bird1735: Dominick Burke1736: John Staunton1737: Dominick Burke1738: Richard FitzPatrick1739: Henry Ellis1740: Thomas Holland1741: Robert Cooke1742: John Disney1743: Thomas Shaw1744: George Purdon1745: John Mills1746: Croasdile Shaw1747: James O'Hara1748: James Disney1749: John Eyre1750: Francis Annesley1751: James Staunton1752: John Hamlin1753: Ambrose Poole1754: George Simcockes1755: John Shaw1756: Patrick Blake1757: Robert Cooke1758: Edward Sheilds1759: Croasdaile Shaw1760: Thomas French1761: Charles Revett1762: Charles Daly1762–63: Charles Daly1763–64: Henry Ellis1764–65: John Eyre1765–66: James Daly1766–67: Henry White1767–68: John Gibson1768–69: Thomas Taylor1769–70: Denis Daly1770–71: Colonel Anthony Daly1772–73: Denis Daly17741775: Elias Tankervill1776: George Carter [Freeman's Journal 6-8/8/1776 for 1775 and 76]1777 James Shee1778 Denis Daly [Fr Journal 17-19/8/1777 for 1777 and 78]1799: Colonel Peter Daly1800: Hyacinth Daly1801: Colonel Peter Daly1802: Hyacinth Daly1803: Denis Bowes Daly1804: James Daly1805: Hyacinth Daly1806–07: Denis Bowes Daly1808: Hyacinth Daly1809: Denis Bowes Daly1810: James Daly1811: Hyacinth Daly1812: Denis Bowes Daly1813–16: Hyacinth Daly1817: Parnell Gale1818–19: James Daly1820–22: James Hardiman Burke1823–24: James Daly1825–29: James Hardiman Burke1830–36: Colonel John Blake1836–40: Edmond Blake (last of the "old" mayors)Galway Corporation was abolished in 1841, not to be restored until 1937.
