Tribes of Galway

The fourteen families who dominated the political, commercial and social life of Galway City from the 1400s to the 1700s were called the "Tribes of Galway". As a result, the city is to this day known as the ""City of the Tribes". The Lynch family, in particular, monopolised the office of mayor over this period.

• The families were;
  • Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, D'Arcy, Deane,ffont, ffrench, Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch, Martin, Morris and Skerrett.

The ffonts and ffrenches are the only Irish families not to spell their surnames with a capital letter.