Hardiman's History of Galway
Chapter 1: Chapter 1
The origin and signification of the name of Galway
The general opinion concerning etymological inquiries seems to be, that
they are rather curious than useful; at the same time it stands confessed,
that, in many instances, such disquisitions may become material and
interesting, particularly should they lead to the establishment or
corroboration of historical facts, or tend to illustrate the ancient state
of the places under investigation. With these objects in view, an attempt
shall here be made to elucidate the origin and signfication
of the name of
Galway, a point which, though often touched upon by many writers, has
hitherto been left undecided.
It is well known that amongst the ancient Irish, all foreigners were
indiscriminately termed Galls, [a] hence,
arose, a supposition, that Galway took its name from a foreign colony
alleged to have settled there at an early period. Tradition informs us, that
previously to the arrival of Henry II, Galway was but an inconsiderable
fishing village, under the protection of an Irish dune or fortress, and that
it was then called Ballinshruane, or the town of the little
streams; because, when the winter floods were high in the river, the
water flowed through the present scite
of the town, and formed it into small
islands; in one of which (where the church of St. Nicholas
was afterwards
built,) this primitive hamlet was situate. We are further informed, from the
same source, that when the English settlers afterwards came hither, they
were called by the native Irish Clann-na-Gall, the Foreign clan,
sept, or colony (an appelation, which however originating, their descendants
still retain,) and that the place was from thenceforth named
Ballinagall, or Gallibh, the Foreigners' town, or
fortification. These traditionary relations, though to many they might
appear probable and satisfactory, are not borne out, but seem rather
controverted by written authority. In the life of Hugh Ruadh
O'Donnell,
hereditary prince of Tyrconnell?, written by
Cucoigcriche O'Clery, one of the
four masters,
after reiating the sacrilegious burning of the convent of St. Brigid, near Galway,
in 1599, by that chieftain, the writer adds, "that the
city took its name from the river, in which was drowned Gaillimh, the
daughter of Breasail." [b] This derivation receives
support from the
old map of Galway,
(of which a full description will be
found in another part of this, volume;) it is there stated, that a woman,
named Galva, was drowned, near a great rock, in the river, (which is
delineated on the map,) and that from this circumstance the town originally
took its name.
Other antiquaries have, however, given sifinifications widely different.
Camden
is of opinion that Galway was derived from the Gallaeci of
Spain. a country with which the town carried on a very early and extensive
commerce. Ware, a much better authority, so far as relates to Ireland, says,
that the river Galoia, or Galiva, mentioned in the annals of
Roscommon. under the years 1177 and 1190, seems to have
given name to the
town; but he leaves it to others to discover its meaning. [c]
Geoffry Lynch
FitzDominick, a native of Galway, in his MS "remarks drawn from antiquity,"
and written in 1661,
agrees with Ware; [d]
and Irish and O'Flaherty,
in his Ogygia, says expressly that the town takes
its name from the river. De Burgo asserts, that Gallimh, the name of
the town in Irish, is the same as locus anglorum, i.e. residence of
the English, and says, it was very properly so called, because the town was
built by a colony which came thither from England about the year 1300; [e]
but this writer appears mistaken as well in his
assertion, as in the truth of the fact adduced in its support. The learned
Vallancey, who was fond of investigations of this nature, gave several
ingenious derivations of the word; at one time he supposes it to be
Galmhaith, an Irish compound, which he translates Galway, and says,
signifies a rocky barren country; [f]
at another time he deduces it from
Port-na-Gall, Gallorum portus; and again, from
Gall-amhan, Amnis Gallorum; but he was finally of opinion,
that the town received its name from a company of merchants that settled
there; Gael, derived, according to him, from Gaelis, or
Geilis, traffick or
commerce, signifying a merchant, and ibh, in Irish,
signifying tribes or
families, whence Gailibh,
tribes of merchants. [g]
Of all these conjectures,
the latter, being the result of more mature deliberation appears most
entitled to attention, as having approached nearest to the truth, which a
brief illustration will sufficiently demonstrate.
From a very early period, and until after the invasion of Henry
II the
territory in which the town stands was called Clanfirgail, the land or
habitation of the Gail or merchants. [h]
This
circumstance, though unobserved by Vallancey, very forcibly corroborates
this opinion, both names evidently agreeing in meaning and derivation, and
each serving to illustrate, and very satisfactorily to explain, the origin
and signification of the other: when, therefore, we consider the weak
foundation of traditional report, and tho fabulous complexion of the story,
attributing the name to the woman, Gaillimh,
or Galva, mentioned by the
writer of Donegal, and alluded to on the
old map, [i]
it seems most reasonable to conclude, that the town and river of Galway both
derived their
name from the territory in which they were situate, and that
the district itself was originally denominated from the Gael, or merchants,
by whom it was inhabited; to strengthen this conclusion,
might be adduced
the authorities of Tacitus and Ptolemy;
add to which, that in the annals of Roscommon,
already mentioned, the name of the river Galiva
is nearly similar
in ortLography, and entirely so in pronunciation to Gailibh,
pronounced
Gallive,
and throughout the most ancient documents, wherein the name of the
town appears, down to the year 1400, it is invariably written Galvy,
in which, the transposition of the two final letters, is the only deviation
from the Irish. In process of time the world Gal-iva,
was altered into
Gal-via, the literal translation of which, Gal-way, first
occurs about the year 1440, and from that time, it has remained uniform and
unchanged, by any variation to the present day.
Having thus far dwelt upon the etymology and orthography of the name of
Galway, it is now time to conclude a disquisition which has already become
tedious, leaving the reader fully at liberty to form or retain his own
opinion on the subject. What has been collected, however, appears strongly
to support the position that the town of Galway and the district in which it
is situate, were, from an early period, distinguished for trade and
commerce, a circumstance from which they derive their name; and, when in
addition to these, the excellent situation of the place, its local
advantages, and many capabilities for foreign commerce, and inland traffick
and navigation, [k] is noble bay, the finest perhaps
in the kingdom, and the natural security of its harbour, shall be taken into
consideration, powerfully corroborative reasons will be found in favour of
the same conclusion.
A curious supposition has been entertained relative to the original
formation of the bay of Galway, it is related, in one of the old Irish
annals, that in the year of the world 1969, there were but three lakes of
consequence in the whole island, namely, Loch-Foirdream, said to have
been at Slievmis, near Tralee, in the County of Kerry, Finloch, the
present Loughcarra, in the County of Mayo, and Loch-Lurgan, which is
described as a spacious lake between the County of Clare and West Connaught,
to the South of Galway, and extending a considerable distance towards the
east. This lake is supposed to have been the present bay of Galway, which
was once, say the annalists, separated from the
ocean by strong banks, until
the Atlantic bursting over them and uniting with the water within, formed
the bay, leaving the three islands of Arran, the towering remnants of the
chain or barrier, which were too high to be overflown by the billows. The
position of these islands, with relation to the main land, as it favours,
seems also to have given rise to this idea, O'Flaherty says that in his
time, a lough in a neighbouring inlet of the sea, was called Lough Lurgan,
but how far the entire circumstance is deserving of credit, is left, without
any comment, to the judgment of the reader.
It has been generally agreed that this bay was the Ausoba of Ptolemy.
Camden and Baxter are however of opinion that Lough Corrib was the place.
Ware thinks it the river Galvia which takes its rise out of that lough, and
washing the town, falls into the bay [l]. Richard
of Circencester makes it Clew Bay in the County of Mayo, but Beauford, with
more accuracy, thinks it the bay of Galway, which, he says, was the Abhsidhe
or Abhansidhe [m] of the Irish, and as such, it has
been almost universally taken. The writer, last mentioned, states, that the
word signifies Oestuarium,
derived from the Irish, Auscobha, a projection of
water, and although this might very properly have been classed amongst the
other visionary derivatives of the same author, yet it remained
uncontroverted, until Vallancey advanced another conjecture, and apparently
discovered the significance of this obscure word. In his essay on the
primitive inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland, he says "commerce, with
the Irish and Arabs, was esteemed honourable, and hence, in both countries,
the adjective, asob, noble,
was prefixed to the word implying commerce, to
signify a merchant.--- Asob Gaelibh,
the merchants of Galway, and hence
Ptolemy names the bay of Galway sinus asobus." Were this far
fetched though ingenious supposition correct, it would add considerable
weight to the preceding conclusions, concerning the former name and commerce
of Galway; but being equally fanciful with the other, it must be abandoned,
as one of the etymological reveries of the veteran antiquary, in his
endeavours to give an oriental cast to the antiquities of Ireland; nor
shall the reader be longer detained on the elucidation of a subject more
difficult than important, at the present day, and which shall therefore be
consigned to the conjectural inquiries of some abler etymologist.
Of the inhabitants of Galway, previous to the invasion of Henry II,
there are no accounts remaining, except by tradition, but some time after
that event took place, the town appears to have been inhabited by a number
of families,
who were principally occupied on the fishings of the lake and
bay, and in making short voyages along the coast, their names are given as
follow: [n]
Athy, Branegan,
[o] Blundell, Brunt,
Burdon, Cale, Calf,
[p]
Coppiner or Coppinger,
Develin, or Dillin [q]
Ffarty, Ffrihin, le
Fickhill, Kellerie,
Kerwick, Lang, Lawless, [r]
Moylin, Muneghan, Penrise,
[s]
Sage, Kancaorach, Valley or
Wallin, [t]
Verdon, Weider and White [u]
there were
many others, whose names are now buried in oblivion, but who are recorded as
having been burgesses of the town. To these early inhabitants and their
successors, Lynch in his MS. remarks, before referred to, alludes in the
following words, "it was not they who gave any name of credit or fame to
the town of Galway, but the colony next after mentioned, for until the
latter came hither, this town was but an ordinary place, with only thatched
houses and some castles, but it was by the new colonies and septs, made
famous to the world, for their trading faithfully, discharging their
credit, good education, charity and hospitality both at home and abroad."
That this plain but honourable description, though given by a native of the
town, was neither the result of partiality nor the effect of prejudice, the
reader will find fully illustrated by various examples throughout the
course of this work.
The new colonies, here alluded to, consisted of several families, whose
descendants, are known to this day, under the general appellation of the
"tribes of Galway,"
an expression, first invented by Cromwell's forces, as a
term of reproach against the natives of the town, for their singular
friendship and attachment to each other during the time of their
unparalleled troubles and persecutions, but which, the latter afterwards
adopted, as an honorable
mark of distinction between themselves and those
cruel oppressors. These families were thirteen, [v]
in number, viz. Athy,
Blake, Bodkin, Browne,
D'Arcy, Ffont, Ffrench,
Joyes,
Kirwan, Lynch, Martin,
Morris and Skerrett.
They did not settle in the town at one time, or on the
same occasion, as is generally supposed; but came hither, at different
periods, and under various circumstances, as may appear from the following
concise account of each of the families composing this peculiar community,
which has been compiled from the most authentic documents.
Next: An alphabetical list and concise accound of the ancient families of
Galway
Chapter 1
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