gaining complete control
over the city and to the granting of mayoral status by the English
crown in December 1484. Galway endured difficult relations with its Irish
neighbours. A notice over the west gate of the city, completed in 1562 by Mayor Thomas
ÓgeMartyn, stated "From the Ferocious O'Flahertys may God
protect us". A by-law forbade the native Irish (as opposed to Galway's Hiberno-Normancitizens)
unrestricted access into Galway, saying "neither O’ nor Mac shall strutte
nor swagger through the streets of Galway" without permission. During the
Middle Ages, Galway was ruled by an oligarchy of fourteen merchant
families (12 of Norman origin and 2 of Irish origin). These were the
"tribes" of Galway. The city thrived on international trade, and in
the Middle Ages, it was the principal Irish port for trade with Spain and
France. The most famous reminder of those days is ceann an bhalla ("the
head of the wall"), now known as the Spanish Arch, constructed during
the mayoralty of Wylliam Martin (1519–20). In 1477 Christopher
Columbus visited Galway, possibly stopping off on a voyage to Iceland or
the Faroe Islands. Seven or eight years later, he noted in the margin of
his copy of Imago Mundi "Men of Cathay have come from the west.
[Of this] we have seen many signs. And especially in Galway in Ireland, a man
and a woman, of extraordinary appearance, have come to land on two tree trunks
[or timbers? or a boat made of such?]" The most likely explanation for
these bodies is that they wereInuit swept eastward by the North
Atlantic Current
During the 16th and 17th centuries Galway
remained loyal to the English crown for the most part, even during the Gaelic
resurgence, perhaps for reasons of survival. However, by 1642 the city had
allied itself with
