Galway’s Bell and Keys
Archived: 21 October 2026
Abstract
On 10 May 1389, Galway’s bell summoned burgesses and townspeople to surrender the keys of its gates to William Burke, lord of Upper Connacht, excluding royal ministers. Following a 1388 oath of fealty and grants of revenues, the action reflected local insecurity and accommodation, while retention of customs suggested caution. Galway’s choice occurred amid Connacht’s shifting wars, raids, captures, killings and pragmatic settlements, where control of resources shaped power. Annals record contested successions and deaths across Ireland. With government weakened after Robert de Vere’s fall and only later reorganised under John Stanley, authority remained fragmented among towns, lords and communities.