The Tribes of Galway ( ga, Treibheanna na Gaillimhe) were 14 merchant families who dominated the political, commercial and social life of the city of

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

in western Ireland between the mid-13th and late 19th centuries. They were the families of Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, Darcy, Deane, Font, French, Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch, Martyn, Morris and Skerritt. Of the 14 families, 12 were of Anglo Norman origin, while two — the Darcy (''Ó Dorchaidhe'') and Kirwan (''Ó Ciardhubháin'') families — were Normanised

Irish Gaels The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languag ...

History

The Tribes were merchant families who prospered from trade with continental Europe. They dominated Galway's municipal government during the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

and early modern eras. The Tribes distinguished themselves from the

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...

peoples who lived in the hinterland of the city. Many of these families spoke

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

as a second or even first language. However, the feared suppression of their common faith joined both groups together as Irish Catholics after the

Irish Rebellion of 1641 The Irish Rebellion of 1641 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1641) was an uprising by Irish Catholics in the Kingdom of Ireland, who wanted an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and to partially or fully reverse the plantat ...

. During the

Irish Confederate Wars The Irish Confederate Wars, also called the Eleven Years' War (from ga, Cogadh na hAon-déag mBliana), took place in Ireland between 1641 and 1653. It was the Irish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, a series of civil wars in the kin ...

(1641–1653), Galway took the side of the

Confederate Catholics Confederate Ireland, also referred to as the Irish Catholic Confederation, was a period of Irish Catholic self-government between 1642 and 1649, during the Eleven Years' War. Formed by Catholic aristocrats, landed gentry, clergy and military ...

. Following the

Cromwellian conquest of Ireland The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland or Cromwellian war in Ireland (1649–1653) was the re-conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell invaded Ireland w ...

, the English government punished the Tribes. Galway was besieged and after it surrendered in April 1652, the Tribes had to face the confiscation of their property by the

New Model Army The New Model Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Th ...

. The Tribes lost much of their power within Galway city after English Parliamentarians took over the Galway Corporation in 1654. Cromwell's forces referred to them by the derogatory name, "The Tribes of Galway", which the families later adopted as a mark of defiance. Galway's urban elite gained a restoration of some of their power during the reign of the King Charles II (1660–1685) and his successor James II. However, Jacobite defeat in the

War of the Two Kings The Williamite War in Ireland (1688–1691; ga, Cogadh an Dá Rí, "war of the two kings"), was a conflict between Jacobite supporters of deposed monarch James II and Williamite supporters of his successor, William III. It is also called th ...

(1689–91), marked the end of the Tribes' once overwhelming political influence on the life of the city. Power passed to the small Protestant population. Garrison members of the Tribes who owned land in Galway and Mayo were protected by the advantageous surrender provisions that were signed on 22 July 1691.

Notable members

Athy

* Margaret Athy (''

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

'' 1508), founder of the Augustinian Friary of Forthill

Blake

* John Blake fitz William, third

Mayor of Galway The office of Mayor of Galway is an honorific title used by the 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 ...

, 1487–1488 * Captain

James "Spanish" Blake James "Spanish" Blake, Anglo-Irish merchant, soldier, and spy, born after 1560, died 20 February 1630. A member of one of The Tribes of Galway, Blake was the second son of Walter Blake (died 1575) and Juliana Browne. His grandfather and brothe ...

, ''fl.'' 1588–1635, spy and purported assassin of

Red Hugh O'Donnell Hugh Roe O'Donnell ( Irish: ''Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill''), also known as Red Hugh O'Donnell (30 October 1572 – 10 September 1602), was a sixteenth-century leader of the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. He became Chief of the Name of Clan O'Donne ...

Joaquín Blake y Joyes Joaquín or Joaquin is a male given name, the Spanish version of Joachim. Given name * Joaquín (footballer, born 1956), Spanish football midfielder * Joaquín (footballer, born 1981), Spanish football winger * Joaquín (footballer, born 19 ...

, (1759–1827), Spanish military officer who served with distinction in the French Revolutionary and Peninsular wars

Bodkin

John Bodkin fitz Richard John Bodkin fitz Richard was Mayor of Galway, 1518-19. Bodkin was one of the four sons of Richard Bodkin. His brothers were James, Henry, and Laurence. John was married to Janet Morris, daughter of John Morris, town provost in 1477. He had seve ...

, Mayor of Galway, 1518–19 *

Dominick Dáll Bodkin Dominick Dáll Bodkin (died 8 October 1740) was an Irish mass murderer. Biography Bodkin was a member of The Tribes of Galway, and nicknamed ''Dáll'' ("Blind") because he was blind in one eye. Pockmarked and a heavy drinker, he had a notoriou ...

, mass murderer, executed 8 October 1740 * Manuel Antonio Flórez Maldonado Martínez Ángulo y Bodquín, admiral in the

Spanish navy The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...

and viceroy of

New Granada New Granada may refer to various former national denominations for the present-day country of Colombia. * New Kingdom of Granada, from 1538 to 1717 *Viceroyalty of New Granada, from 1717 to 1810, re-established from 1816 to 1819 *United Provinces of ...

(1776 – 1781) and

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the A ...

(1787 – 1789). * John Bodkin (died 1710), Roman Catholic Warden of Galway. After his death, his body was said to have been the subject of a miracle because it was thought to have not decayed *

Michael Bodkin Nora Barnacle (21 March 1884 – 10 April 1951) was the muse and wife of Irish author James Joyce. Barnacle and Joyce had their first romantic assignation in 1904 on a date celebrated worldwide as the "Bloomsday" of his modernist novel ...

(c.1888–1900), inspiration for Michael Furey in

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the Modernism, modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important ...

's short story "The Dead"

Browne

* Geoffrey Browne (died 1668), Irish Confederate lawyer and politician * Mary Bonaventure Browne (before 1610 – after 1670),

Poor Clare The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare ( la, Ordo sanctae Clarae) – originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and later the Clarisses, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Order, and the Second Order of Saint Francis ...

and historian, *

John Browne, 1st Marquess of Sligo John Denis Browne, 1st Marquess of Sligo, KP, PC (Ire) (11 June 1756 – 2 January 1809) was an Irish peer, absentee slaveholder and politician, and was the son of Peter Browne, 2nd Earl of Altamont, and his wife Elizabeth, née Kelly, heiress ...

Garech Browne Garech Domnagh Browne (25 June 1939 – 10 March 2018) was an Irish art collector and a notable patron of Irish arts, traditional Irish music in particular. He was often known by the Irish designation of his name, Garech de Brún, or alternative ...

(1939-2018), patron of Irish arts and one-time manager of

The Chieftains The Chieftains are a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous wi ...

Darcy (''Ó Dorchaidhe'')

* James Riabhach Darcy, Mayor of Galway, 1602–1603. * Patrick Darcy (1598–1668), Catholic Confederate and lawyer who wrote the constitution of Confederate Ireland * Patrick Darcy (1725–1779), mathematician and soldier

Deane

* Edmond Deane, 18th Mayor of Galway, 1502–1504

Font (ffont)

* Geoffrey Font (1709–1814),

centenarian A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100 years. Because life expectancies worldwide are below 100 years, the term is invariably associated with longevity. In 2012, the United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living centen ...

French (ffrench)

* Christopher French, (''fl.'' c. 1650-c.1713), theologian *

Seán an tSalainn French Seán an tSalainn French (1489–1546) was Mayor of Galway from 1538 to 1539. French was born in Galway, a member of one of The Tribes of Galway. Baptised John, he was known as ''Seán an tSalainn'' ('John of the Salt') because of the immense w ...

(1489–1546), Mayor of Galway, 1538–1539 *

Arthur French, 1st Baron de Freyne Arthur French, 1st Baron de Freyne and de Freyne (1786 – 29 September 1856) was an Anglo-Irish peer and member of parliament. De Freyne was the eldest son of Arthur French of Frenchpark and his wife Margaret Costello of Edmondstown. The Frenc ...

* Patricio French (b. 1742-?) Spanish nobleman, merchant and politician *

Conrad O'Brien-Ffrench Conrad Fulke Thomond O'Brien-ffrench, 2nd Marquis de Castelthomond (19 November 1893 – 23 October 1986) was a distinguished British Secret Intelligence Officer, Captain in the Tipperary Rangers of the Royal Irish Regiment and 16th The Queen' ...

(1893–1986), artist and secret agent,

Joyce

* Henry Joyce, Mayor of Galway, 1542–1543 * Richard Joyce (c. 1660 – c. 1737), creator of the

Claddagh Ring A Claddagh ring ( gle, fáinne Chladaigh) is a traditional Irish ring in which a heart represents love, the crown stands for loyalty, and two clasped hands symbolize friendship.George Frederick Kunz (1911). Rings for the Finger: From the Earlie ...

* Patrick Weston Joyce (1827 – November 1914) historian, writer, and music collector * Jack Joyce

Kirwan (''Ó Ciardhubháin'')

* William Ó Ciardhubháin, founder of the merchant family *

Dominick Kirwin Dominick Kirwin was an Irish Confederate, ? Kirwin was a member of one of The Tribes of Galway, and led the raiding party that seized a ship anchored near Galway early in the morning of 19 March 1642. It was a British naval vessel under the comma ...

(''fl.'' 1642–1653?), Irish Confederate * Joseph W. Kirwan (1796–1849), first president of

Queen's College, Galway The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...

* Magdalen Kirwan (c.1830–1906), Sister of Mercy and manager of St. Vincent's Industrial School, Goldenbridge * Richard Kirwan (1733–1812), president of the

Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier learned society and one its leading cultural ...

* Risteárd Buidhe Kirwan (1708–1779), soldier and duellist * Sarah Annette Kirwan (d. 1913), first wife of Sir Edward Carson, Ulster Unionist leader *

Laurence P. Kirwan Sir Archibald Laurence Patrick Kirwan KCMG (13 May 1907 – 16 April 1999) was a British archaeologist and geographer who made major contributions to the study of ancient Egypt, Nubia, East Africa and South Arabia. '' The Guardian'', in his ob ...

(1907-1999), KCMG, Egyptologist and archeologist; head of Royal Geographical Society *

James Kerwin James Kerwin, (born October 13, 1973) is an American film director, theatre director, and screenwriter. Education and academics Kerwin, who was born in St. Louis, Missouri, attended Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield. Kerwin graduat ...

(b. 1973), Irish-American

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

* Louis Kirwan (actor) (b. 2012)

Lynch

* Anthony Lynch (c. 1576-after 1636), Dominican and Barbary captive * Christopher Lynch (''fl.'' 1601–1604), Mayor of Galway * Dominick Dubh Lynch (died 1508), second Mayor of Galway *

Germyn Lynch Germyn Lynch (fl. 1441 – 1483) was a merchant and entrepreneur from Galway, Ireland. His life is notable in that few other commoners in late medieval Ireland are so well-documented. Lynch was a member of one of Tribes of Galway. He was a ...

(''fl.'' 1441–1483), merchant and entrepreneur * Isidore Lynch (1755–1841), soldier * Jean-Baptiste Lynch (1749–1835), Mayor of Bordeaux and a peer of France * John Lynch (1599?–1677?), historian and Archdeacon of Tuam *

Maire Lynch Maire Lynch, Countess of Clanricarde, fl. 1547. Lynch was a member of the Tribes of Galway who married, prior to his death in 1544, Ulick na gCeann Burke, 1st Earl of Clanricarde. The reason for the marriage was to aid Burke's assimilation into ...

(''fl.'' 1547), Countess of

Clanricarde Clanricarde (; ), also known as Mac William Uachtar (Upper Mac William) or the Galway Burkes, were a fully Gaelicised branch of the Hiberno-Norman House of Burgh who were important landowners in Ireland from the 13th to the 20th centuries. Te ...

Patrick Lynch (Argentina) Patrick Lynch (1715–1789) was an Irish emigrant who became a significant landowner in Rio de la Plata, which is now part of Argentina. Biography He was born in Galway and was the second son of Captain Patrick Lynch of Lydican Castle and Agn ...

(1715-1789) ancestor of

Che Guevara Ernesto Che Guevara (; 14 June 1928The date of birth recorded on /upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Ernesto_Guevara_Acta_de_Nacimiento.jpg his birth certificatewas 14 June 1928, although one tertiary source, (Julia Constenla, quoted ...

Thomas Kerr Lynch Thomas Kerr Lynch (1818–1891) was an Irish explorer. A younger brother of Henry Blosse Lynch (born 1807), Thomas was born at Partry House, Ballinrobe (then in County Galway but now in County Mayo) to Major Henry Blosse Lynch (1778–1823). T ...

(1818–91), explorer

Martin ''(Ó Máirtín)''

Edward Martyn Edward Martyn (30 January 1859 – 5 December 1923) was an Irish playwright and early republican political and cultural activist, as the first president of Sinn Féin from 1905–08. Early life Martyn was the elder son of John Martyn of Tullira ...

(1859–1923), political and cultural activist * Francis Martin (1652–1722), Augustinian priest *

Mary Gabriel Martyn Maria Gabriel Martyn (1604–1672) was Abbess of the Poor Clares of Galway. Background Born Helen Martyn, she was a member of one of The Tribes of Galway, the merchant families who ruled Galway from the late medieval to the early modern era. Her ...

(1604–1672), abbess of the

Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare ( la, Ordo sanctae Clarae) – originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and later the Clarisses, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Order, and the Second Order of Saint Francis ...

of Galway. * Mary Letitia Martin (1815–1850), writer * Peter Martin (STP) (died 1645), preacher * Richard Martin (1754–1834), founder of The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. * Violet Florence Martin, (1862–1915), author

Morris

* Andrew Morris, Mayor of Galway, 1588–1589 * Lieutenant-Colonel Hon.

George Henry Morris Lieutenant-Colonel The Hon. George Henry Morris (16 July 1872 – 1 September 1914) was the first commanding officer to lead an Irish Guards battalion into battle. Early life George Henry Morris was born in Spiddal, County Galway, Ireland, ...

, 1872–1914, commanding officer of the Irish Guards *

Michael Morris, Baron Morris Michael Morris, Baron Morris and 1st Baron Killanin, (14 November 1826 – 8 September 1901), known as Sir Michael Morris, Bt, from 1885 to 1889, was an Irish lawyer and judge. He was Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench for Ireland from 1887 ...

(1826–1901), judge and Privy Counsellor *

Martin Morris, 2nd Baron Killanin Martin Henry FitzPatrick Morris, 2nd Baron Killanin, PC(Ire) (22 July 1867 – 11 August 1927) was an Irish Unionist (Conservative) Member of Parliament (MP). Background and education Morris was the eldest son of Michael Morris, 1st Baron Kill ...

(1867–1927), politician *

Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin, (30 July 1914 – 25 April 1999) was an Irish journalist, author, sports official, and the sixth President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He succeeded his uncle as Baron Killanin in the Peer ...

(1914–99), sixth president of the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swis ...

1972–80 *

Redmond Morris, 4th Baron Killanin George Redmond Fitzpatrick Morris, 4th Baron Killanin (born 26 January 1947), is an Irish film producer. Morris was born in Dublin, Ireland, into a notable Irish family. He is the eldest son of Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin, formerly the p ...

(born 1947), filmmaker *

Mouse Morris Michael "Mouse" Morris, formally the Hon. Michael Morris, (born 4 April 1951) is an Irish racehorse trainer and former amateur and professional jockey. As a trainer, he has won the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and has won the Iri ...

(born 1951), racehorse trainer and former jockey

Skerrett

* John Skerrett (c.1620–c.1688), preacher and missionary * Nicholas Skerrett (died 1583),

archbishop of Tuam The Archbishop of Tuam ( ; ga, Ard-Easpag Thuama) is an archbishop which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Catholic Church. Hist ...

Modern use

Similar to the nicknames used for other Irish counties, Galway city and county and its people are known as ''the tribesmen''. This nickname is derived from this term. The tribes also lend their names to 14 of the

roundabout A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford Eng ...

s in or around the boundaries of Galway city. The roundabouts are signposted on navy blue signs containing the tribe's name in the

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

References

Bibliography

"History of Galway"

James Hardiman James Hardiman (1782–1855), also known as Séamus Ó hArgadáin, was a librarian at Queen's College, Galway. Hardiman is best remembered for his '' History of the Town and County of Galway'' (1820) and '' Irish Minstrelsy'' (1831), one of the f ...

, 1820. *''Old Galway'',

Maureen Donovan O'Sullivan Mary Josephine Donovan O'Sullivan was Professor of History at Queens College, Galway (now NUI Galway) from 1914 to 1957. Biography One of ten children, four of whom survived infancy, Donovan was born at Fair Hill Road in Galway on 24 November ...

, 1942. *Henry, William, ''Role of Honour:The Mayors of Galway City 1485–2001''Galway, 2002. *Martyn, Adrian, ''The Tribes of Galway:1124–1642'', Galway, 2016.

External links

* * * * * * * * * {{Galway History of Galway (city) Irish families