Tuam

Tuam is an old ecclesiastical centre in the plains north of Galway. Its rise was closely tied to the O'Connors, kings of Connacht, and to the archbishops who made the town a seat of church authority. St Mary's Cathedral and other religious foundations stood beside a market that served the surrounding countryside. In 1613 James I granted Tuam a charter of incorporation, establishing a borough with its own governing officers and the right to send representatives to the Irish parliament. Its market and ecclesiastical role remained central to the town's life.