Seven minutes’ bells at 7pm for 7 nights at historic St Nicholas Collegiate Church, Galway (1320-2020)

St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, Galway, currently celebrating the 700th year since its foundation, is delighted to announce that the church bells are sounding out for seven minutes at 7pm for seven days.  The initiative commenced on Sunday night (27th September) and they will ring out each evening this week and flood the streets of Galway with their now familiar and comforting sound.

The newly formed campanology school has been very busy over the last year bringing the sound of the bells to Galway city and had a particularly popular ringing-in of the new year last New Year’s Eve. The bells brought welcome hope and solace as they rang out at 12noon every Friday during the pandemic and lockdown, for frontline workers, and all those navigating through isolating, lonely or difficult times. There was an overwhelming public response. The sound of the bells ringing out assures people that they are not alone. They have brought assurance to many, with the livestreaming being viewed locally and internationally, ensuring that those who are not local can still hear and witness it all.

“The church is in great need of financial support at present; this year has been challenging as we have had to close our doors to visitors and were not able to hold our fundraisers,” said the rector, the Very Revd Lynda Peilow. “We are working hard also to ensure that St Nicholas’ will be around for another 700 years, and awaiting the completion of a conservation management plan.”

The livestream can be viewed at: www.facebook.com/stnicholasgalway