Lynch Memorial Window

Historic Site in Galway

Lynch Memorial Window, Market St, Galway
CC BY-SA 3.0 / Bob Linsdell

Next to the graveyard of the Collegiate Church of San Nicholas of Myra, a window overlooks a relief of a skull and bones and a memorial plaque that recounts a grim event from 1493. During that year, James Lynch FitzStephen, a member of the powerful Lynch “tribe” which had provided Galway with eighty mayors, was serving as mayor.

Galway was ruled by thirteen families or “tribesmen,” including the Lynches. James had a son named Walter, known for his quick and jealous temper. In a fit of jealousy, Walter killed a young Spanish sailor over a romantic dispute. Justice demanded a response, and James sentenced his own son to death.

Attempts by James to bring Walter to the scaffold were thwarted by a mob that surrounded his residence, Lynch’s Castle. Unfazed, James led Walter to a high window within the castle and hanged him there himself—a harsh act of paternal justice.

Following this dramatic episode, James retired from his mayoral duties but did not fade from memory; his actions were immortalized in a memorial.

The Lynch Memorial Window appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Galway!

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Visiting Lynch Memorial Window

Address: Lynch Memorial Window, Market Street, Galway, Ireland
Duration: 20 minutes

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