St.Nicholas Collegiate Church Galway

Irish Association of Change Ringers

The treble, on No 1, bell of the ring of bells in 1638, bore the inscription:

The Bells No 1 & 2 were erected by H S Persse

To the glory of God

and in loving memory of

Eleanor Alice Persse Died 17 June 1890

J Murphy Founder Dublin 1891

The two bells bore this inscription but No.2 had the text:

'Bless the Lord oh my soul' 103 Psalm

The No.3 bell, or the Treble of the old six, was either a recasting of an older bell, or cast new for the church by Tobias Covey in 1684.  It was 30" in diameter and had the inscription :

At: The: Corporation: Charge: Theodore: RVSSEL:/ ..

Mayor: T:S: R: P CH:W:A: 1684

In 1726, Tobias Covey cast two more bells, being the Nos 2 and 3 of the old six, or Nos 4 and 5 of the "eight".  No records exist of earlier bells having to be recast in these cases.  The size and inscriptions of the 1726 bells were:

No.4 (2)             31 ¼" in diameter

At: The: Corporation: Charge: Charles: Gerry: Mayor:

T:C: /..1726

No.5 (3)             33 " in diameter

At: The: Corporation: Charge: Charles: Gerry: Mayor: Tobias:/..

Covey: Founder: 1726:

The No.6 bell (No. 4 of the six) reached Galway by a mysterious means.  It was 37" in diameter and was cast originally for the church in Cavron, Normandy.  The bell was beautifully decorated with for medallions equispaced around the tope of the waist.  The show - the Virgin and Child; a saint probably Walois; another saint maybe St Saulve; and an urn with Floriation.  When the bells were being recast in 1935 these four medallions were removed from the old bell and are now preserved in the Collegiate Church archives. 

This inserting bell was inscribed in French as Follows:

Domp  Gavdefroy de la rue par la grace de diev

Abbe de st salve et sr Domp de Caavron Vvalois Ma

Nomme Povr Servir Aleglise DV Dict Cavron 1631

At the sound bow, the founder's name incised:

Lovis + Longree + Novs + At = Faict = 1631

Translated in English Reads:

Godfrey de la Rue, by the Grace of God

Abbot of St Saullve and the Lord Cavron. Walosi my

Name for service at the said church of Cavron 1631

No.7

  HVGH · BVTWALL · FIRST · FONDER · OF · THES ·  BELLS · RENVED /..

BE · MASTER · JAMES · LI NCHE · MASTER · AN · D · 1590 · T · W ·

When this bell was recast by T.W. by order of the Mayor, James Lynch, in 1590, there were said to have been five bells.

The tenor bell was 402 in diameter was cast at the same time as the Treble Bell of the original six, or No.3 of the eight bell ring.  It has heavy cannos, and weighed about 16 ctws.  The note of the bell was F # and it insription read:

This : at : the : corperation : charge : TR : Mayor :  Tho : Simcockes : Rich : 

Plvmmer : Ch  : Wardens: 1784