Galway Advertiser 2007/2007_06_07/GA_0706_E1_008.pdf 

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8 N E W S

www.galwayadvertiser.ie

June 7 2007

St Nicholas' symbolises a changing church
BY KERNAN ANDREWS St Nicholas' Collegiate Church is one of the most familiar city landmarks, but anyone entering it today may find it a strange, unfamiliar, experience. The traditional long 19th century black pews have been removed and replaced by some 200 individual varnished wooden chairs - not unlike the seating arrangement in the Augustinian church. The chairs were made by Irish Contract Seating in Co Leitrim and more are expected to be installed in the future. The new seats also allow the newly sanded wooden floors to become properly visible. Rector of St Nicholas', Rev Patrick Towers, says the new seats symbolise the growth and development of the church as a central part of Galway city life. "The old pews recall a time when the church was linked with other institutions such as the Grammar School and the barracks, and everyone knew their place in society and they stayed there," Rev Towers says. "The church has changed since those times. There is no longer such a rigidly defined sense of order and hierarchy. The church is

Rev Patrick Towers believes the new seating in St Nicholas' reflects the church's development.

opening up to so much. It's such a busy church, and so widely used not just for the Anglican liturgy, but for the Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox, and Coptic liturgies. It is used for concerts, theatre, exhibitions, and events. We are continually using the church in different ways." "As so many people use the church we had to spend a lot of time moving the pews," says Rev Towers. "This was not conducive to our backs and the pews became damaged. The new chairs allow us to move

things about. They are more flexible and can be angled or rearranged more easily for various events." Rev Towers admits their removal has led to the loss of some of St Nicholas' Victorian atmosphere, but he does not believe the church's wider historic ambience has been affected. "The historic character of the church is contained within its mediaeval origins and structure," he says. "The removal of the pews allows Galwegians and tourists to see more

clearly the damaged inflicted by Cromwellian troops in the 17th century. People will now be able to see fully the pillars and the artwork on them such as the fleur de lys which the pews kept hidden." While a number of black pews remain in the church's transepts, many had to be discarded owing to damage sustained over the years. Some will also be sold at the St Nicholas' Garden Fete in The Rectory, Taylor's Hill, this Saturday at 2pm.

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