The King of the Claddagh was the leader of the

Claddagh Claddagh () is an area close to the centre of Galway city, where the River Corrib meets Galway Bay. It was formerly a fishing village, just outside the old city walls. It is just across the river from the Spanish Arch, which was the location of ...

community in

Galway city Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city o ...

as well as at sea who was charged with being the arbiter in any disputes. A new king was chosen on St. John's Day, 23 June. It is now an honorary role.

Mayors and kings

Elections of Mayors of the Claddagh are noted in 1812 and 1837. One possible mayor in the 1830s was Denis King. Only in 1846 are the names of the mayor, Bartley Hynes, and the runner-up and deputy, Owen Jones, recorded. Hynes died on 27 April 1849 and was succeeded by Jones. The first recorded King of the Claddagh was the Rev

Thomas Folan Thomas D Folan (1810–1874) was an Irish local leader who served as King of the Claddagh. Biography Folan was a Dominican priest, and a native of Galway City. He was the Prior of St Mary's Dominican Priory, Galway City. He was previously Pri ...

, who died in 1887.

Padge King Padge King () was Mayor/King of the Claddagh. Biography King was one of the earliest recorded Kings of the Claddagh. The ''Galway Vindicator'' of 12 May 1887 stated that "This custom of appointing their own ruler prevails among the Claddagh fo ...

and

Eoin Concannon Eoin (, or ) is an Irish name. The Scottish Gaelic equivalent is () and both are closely related to the Welsh . It is also cognate with the Irish . In the Irish language, it is the name used for all Biblical figures known as ''John'' in Eng ...

were his successors, and regarded as the last actual kings when Concannon died in 1954. Ceremonial 'kings' since then have been Martin Oliver, Patrick Ladeen Curran, and Mike Lynskey. Martin Oliver, for example, held the title from the early 1960s until 1972, and represented the community at events such as the Oyster Festival. Oliver was a descendant of 19th century mariner Martin Oliver and owned the

Galway hooker The Galway hooker (''Irish'': ''húicéir'') is a traditional fishing boat used in Galway Bay off the west coast of Ireland. The hooker was developed for the strong seas there. It is identified by its sharp, clean entry, bluff bow, marked tumbleh ...

''Truelight''.''Galway - A Maritime Tradition:Ships, boats and people'', Brendan O'Donnell, Galway, 2001

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mayor/King of the Claddagh People from County Galway

Mayors and kings

See also

References