King of the Claddagh

The King of the Claddagh was the leader of the Claddagh community in Galway City as well as at sea who was charged with being the arbiter in any disputes.[1] A new king was chosen on St. John's Day, 23 June.[2] It is now an honorary role.

Mayors and Kings

Elections of Mayors of the Claddagh are noted in 1812 and 1837. A 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, who died in 1887. Padge King and Eoin Concannon were his successors, and regarded as the last actual kings when Concannon died in 1954.[3] Ceremonial 'kings' since then have been Martin Oliver, Patrick Ladeen Curran, and Mike Lynskey.[4]

See also

References
  1. "The Claddagh". Galway City Museum. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  2. "The Claddagh". Galway Cultural Institute. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  3. McMahon, Sean (1997). The Story of the Claddagh Ring. Cork: Mercier Press. p. 32.
  4. Freeman, Michael (5 October 2018). "Your guide to the Claddagh: Very old village in the heart of modern Galway". Journal Media. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
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