PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION OF GALWAY, AND A LIST OF THE MEMBERS FOR THE TOWN SINCE THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH. The most ancient summonses to the parliament of Ireland extant, are directed to the barons and members by name. In the year 1310, Richard de Burgo was summoned for Connaught.-Rot. Claus. 3 Edw. II.-In subsequent records of that and the succeeding reign, other members of the same family were summoned for the "county of Connaught."-Id. 46 and 48 Edw. III.-After this period, writs were directed to the sheriffs of counties and magistrates of cities and towns. It does not appear that Galway returned any members to the memorable Irish parliament convened at Westminster in 1376; but, on the 22d of January, the year following, the provost and bailiffs were summoned to appear at a parliament to be held at Trisdeldermot, on Monday next after the feast of embers; and they were afterwards fined £100 for not attending.-Rot. Claus. I Rich. II.-A like summons issued, dated 11th September, 1380.-Id. de ann. 4.—another 29th April, 1382, and one in 1394.-Id. de Ann. 5 and 18.-Similar summonses at the same time issued to the provost and bailiffs of Athenry. In the great roll of the Pipe, 14 Hen. VI. in Berm. Tower, the chief magistrate and constable of Galway were fined 100s. because, at the council of the lord the king, on Friday next after the feast of St. Nicholas the bishop, in the 8th year of the king's reign, they neither attended by themselves nor by proxy, nor returned the king's writ to them at that time directed. The same roll contains an entry of another fine of £10 against them, because they did not return the king's writ to the parliament held at Dublin, on Friday next after the feast of the Holy Trinity, in the 9th year of the king; and in another record (Rot. Pat. 28 Hen. VI.) the sovereign and provost of the town are fined £40 for not returning the king's writ to them, directed to the parliament, held at Drogheda on Tuesday next after the feast of St. Mark, 1450.-Of the names of the members comprising the several parliaments of Ireland before the year 1559 there is no account extant; but, from that period to the present, the following is a correct list of the successive represen tatives of the town of Galway: 1559. Jonoke Lynce, of Galway. Peter Lynce, of same. [For the parliament of 1568 no list extant.] 1585. Peter Lynche. Jonoke Lynche. Robuck French Fitz-John. 1613. Valentine Blake, of Muckinis, ald. Geof. Lynch Fitz-Dom. of Galway. 1634. Sir Thos. Blake, of Menlogh, bart. Nicholas Lynch, of Galway, ald. 1639. Sir Robert Lynch, of same, bart. Sir Valentine Blake, of Menlogh, 1661. bart. [Expelled 22d June, 1642, for the rebellion.] Edward Eyre, esq. John Eyre, of Eyrecourt. 1689. Oliver Martin, esq. John Kirwan, esq. [Parliament of James II.] 1692. Sir Henry Bellasyse, knt. Nehemiah Donnellan, esq. 1695. Richard St. George, esq. of Kilrush, Co. Kilkenny. Robert Ormsby, esq. 1703. John Staunton, of Galway, esq. Edward Eyre, esq. 1713. John Staunton, esq. Samuel Eyre, of Eyrecourt, esq. 1714. John Staunton, esq. 1727. John Staunton, esq. 1732. Thomas Staunton, esq. [Alderman Thomas Staunton deceased.] 1735. Dominick Burke, esq. 1747. Rickard Fitz-Patrick, esq. John Eyre, of Eyrecourt. esq. [Rickard Fitz-Patrick mis-elected.] IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. 1804. Denis Bowes Daly, esq. 1805. James Daly, of Dunsandle, esq. 1812. The honorable Fred. Ponsonby. |1814. Valentine Blake, of Menlo, esq. [The honorable Frederick Ponsonby mis-elected.] 1818. Valentine Blake, esq. THE HISTORY OF GALWAY. PART III. THE ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF THE TOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME. Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas. a THIS ancient and venerable edifice, which, for extent and architectural beauty, is inferior to very few ecclesiastical foundations in the kingdom, stands a lasting testimonial of the piety, wealth and public spirit of its founders, the former The festival of St. Nicholas is celebrated on the 6th of December. He was a native of Myra, an archiepiscopal see, and the capital of Lycia, in Asia, of which he was elected archbishop. He died there A. D. 342; and the universal honor in which this holy man was held testifies his great merit and sanctity. He was particularly esteemed the protector of mariners, who never failed, on going to sea, to implore his mediation for a successful voyage; and he was also, from the innocence of his life, held to be the patron of children. A curious illustration of the life of this primitive saint is contained in doctor Milner's excellent History of Winchester. In his Life by Alban Butler, the following account of the translation of his relics to Italy is taken from Surius and others:-" Certain merchants of Bari, a seaport in the kingdom of Naples, situate on the Adriatic Gulf, sailed in three ships to the coast of Lycia, and, watching an opportunity when no Mahometans were near the place, went to the church in which the relics of St. Nicholas were kept, which stood in a desert place, three miles from the sea, and was guarded by a small community of monks. They broke open the marble coffin in which the sacred bones lay, and carried them off to their ships. The inhabitants, upon the alarm given, pursued them to the shore with horrible outcries; but the Europeans were got safe on board. They landed at Bari on the 9th of May, 1087, and the sacred treasure was deposited by the archbishop in the church of St. Stephen. On the first day thirty persons were cured of various distempers; and, from that time, the tomb of St. Nicholas of Bari has been famous for pilgrimages.-This enterprise could only be justified by the laws of a just war, joined with the apprehension of the sacrilegious impiety of the Mahometans."-Vol. XII. The collegiate seal, above delineated, represents St. Nicholas with his mitre, crozier, &c. At his right appear, GG |