The Statue of Pádraic Ó Conaire

As the theme for National Heritage Week 2025 is ‘Exploring Our Foundations’ the Museum staff have prepared a special tour that begins with the origins of Galway – from Gaelic fort to Anglo-Norman town – and then focuses on an iconic object that reveals a story that has helped to shape the city’s unique character.

Born by the docks in Galway in 1882, Patrick Joseph Conroy ( Pádraic Ó Conaire) became the most important Irish-language writer of his generation. When he died in 1928, the Gaelic League commissioned Dublin sculptor Albert Power to create a memorial statue. Unveiled in Eyre Square in 1935, it quickly became a Galway landmark. The statue was beheaded in 1999 and afterwards moved into Galway City Museum for safekeeping. A bronze replica now sits in its place in Eyre Square. Join us to learn more.

This event is free of charge, but advance booking is required. For further details or to make a booking, please email museum@galwaycity.ie or call (091) 532460.

Suitable for adults and young people aged 10+