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Galway City Sword and Great Mace
Like many old towns, Galway has a Civic Sword and Great Mace which were used in the past as symbols of office of the Mayors and as emblems of the dignity of the City Council
Civic Sword
The Civic Sword dates from the time of the Charter of King James I, which gave authority in 1610 for the carrying of such a weapon before the Mayor. It is silvermounted and richly ornamented, and bears two silversmiths’ marks which have been identified as Galway ones.
The Covering of the blade displays the arms of the town and many inscriptions put on at different times. One of these commemorates the restoration of King Charles II after Cromwell’s death in 1660; another welcomes the accession of King William and Queen Mary and is dated 1692. Other inscriptions include the names of several Mayors.
An attempt was made, probably in the reign of James II, when the old government of the town was for a while restored, to remove the name of the unpopular Cromwellian Mayor, Peter Stubbers, put on in 1655, but his name can still be read.
The latest inscription records that Edmond Blake was the last of the old Mayors of Galway. He was in office from 1831 to 1841. The City Council was abolished in that year, but was renewed in 1937.
Great Mace
The Great Mace, a massive piece of ornamental silverwork, was made in Dublin in 1710, and was presented to the town by Edward Eyre, Mayor of Galway, in 1712. It is almost five feet long and weighs 211 ounces, 18 pennyweights.
Its entire surface is decorated with engraved, chased and embossed designs of foliage, scrollwork and classical figures. The head shows the arms of Queen Anne and the badges of England, Scotland, Ireland and France. The base shows the arms of Galway and those of the Eyre family.
Use of The Sword and Mace
The Sword and Mace were formally carried on special occasions by Sword and Mace bearers, appointed by the City Council. Having been for some years out of the town, in the interval between the time of the old City Council and the present one, the Sword and Mace were presented to Galway in 1960 by the Hearst Foundation of the United States of America.
As in the past, the Civic Sword and Great Mace are again being used on formal occasions. They are used to precede the Mayor and City Council in formal processions and at the Conferring of the Freedom. It is interesting to note that at the request of the Eire Society of Boston, the City Council lent the Mace to the Society in order that it might be exhibited in Boston from April to early June 1963 as part of an exhibition of Antique Irish Silver. The Mace was the highlight of the exhibition.