Search Results for 'James Stewart and Co'

For over 30 years, swimmers and dippers have made it their Christmas tradition to wear the COPE Galway t-shirt and “brave the cold” in the bracing Galway waters to raise awareness and funds for the local charity. People can also register on copegalway.ie/swim to “swim where you are” anywhere in the world from 20-26 December.

The Franciscans first came to Galway in 1296 and founded the Abbey. In 1483, a school of advanced theology was instituted there. When the Cromwellians invaded the city, the friars were expelled. In 1657, the friary was destroyed and the church was turned into a courthouse — the present courthouse stands on the same site. In 1660, a new church was erected on the present site of the Abbey. There were 13 friars there in 1766, and eight years later a novitiate was opened here. The present friary was built or rebuilt in 1820, and the present church opened c1836. It was renovated in the 1970s and became the first Franciscan parish in 1971.