Sword & Mace
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. The Great Mace, a massive piece ofornamental silverwork, was made in Dublin in 1710, and was presented to the town by Edward Eyre, Mayor of Galway, in 1712.
These historic symbols of the Mayors of Galway City had disappeared for hundreds of years following the Cromwellian army's invasion of the town in 1652, only to resurface again in the mid-20th century, via American publishing tycoon, William Randolph Hearst.
Location: Level 0