A collegiate church doesn't have a resident priest, but members of a seminary (here, a College of Vicars) take turns. St Nicholas is the largest medieval church still in everyday use in Ireland.
About Saint Nicholas Collegiate Church
It was founded in 1320 and enlarged over the following two centuries. It's dedicated to St Nicholas of Myra (circa 300 AD), the patron saint of seafarers who later became Santa Claus. There are large tombs of the Lynch family, and a plaque at the Lynch memorial window claims to be the spot where 15th-century mayor James hanged his own son Walter: for killing a Spanish visitor, so goes the tale, but what was that really all about? In 2002 St Nick's conducted the first blessing of a same-sex partnership in an Irish church, but the Bishop prohibited any such unbiblical goings-on in future. The church is Anglican Protestant (which it obviously wasn't when Christopher Columbus attended mass here), but has occasionally been used by RC, Romanian, Russian Orthodox and Mar Thoma Syrian congregations. When in Rome, as they say….
Plan your visit
- Where: Lombard Street H91 PY20 (Galway)
- Hours: Mon Tue Thu–Sat 10AM–6PM, Wed noon–6PM, Sun 1–5:30PM
- Price: Adult €5, children free, guided tours €10
- Phone: +353 89 489 8084
- Web: stnicholas.ie
Details sourced from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Published on 26 October 2026 at 12:00 pm