Arms of QCG, UCG, NUI Galway and University of Galway / Ollscoil na Gaillimhe
Item
Format
Jpeg
Title
Arms of QCG, UCG, NUI Galway and University of Galway / Ollscoil na Gaillimhe
Identifier
VHS0001
Depiction
A coat of arms, surmounted by a scroll with a motto
Description
These are the arms of Queen's College, Galway, University College, Galway (Coláiste na hOllscoile, Gaillimh), National University of Ireland, Galway (Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh), and the University of Galway (Ollscoil na Gaillimhe). The Arms, dating from the earliest days of Queen's College, Galway, comprise a blue inescutcheon or shield divided into quarters, describing, in increasingly specific terms, the location and purpose of the College. The first quarter, against a red background, a golden lion walking towards the left with full face towards the spectator, represents England; the second quarter, against a green background, a golden Irish harp with silver strings, represents Ireland; the third quarter shows the arms of the province of Connacht - specifically, in the left half, against a silver/white background, a black eagle, halved, with wings expanded, and in the right half, against a blue background, a bent arm holding a dagger erect (natural colouring); and the fourth quarter shows the arms of the town of Galway, viz. against a silver/white background, a golden galley, riding on the waves of the sea (natural colouring), with one mast and sail furled, the rigging bearing a black shield on which a golden lion appears in profile, standing on the left hindleg, the right hindleg raised above it and the forelegs elevated. The open blank book superimposed on the centre point is a standard heraldic symbol for an institution dedicated to learning. The motto on the scroll surmounting the arms, in Latin, is ‘Deo Favente’ (‘With God’s Favour’).
The technical heraldic description is as follows:
Quarterly.
1. Gules a lion passant gardant (Or)
2. Vert a harp Or stringed Argent
3. Per Pale. Dexter: (Argent) an eagle displayed (Sable) dimidiated. Sinister: Azure an arm embowed issuant from the dexter flank and holding a dagger erect (proper)
4. Argent, on waves of the sea in base proper a galley Or with one mast and sail furled, the rigging charged with an escutcheon sable, thereon a lion rampant of the third Or.
There has, however, never been an official grant of those Arms, or any other Arms, to the College or University. The Board of Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the three Queen's Colleges (Belfast, Cork and Galway), set up to make recommendations to the Lord Lieutenant as to Statutes, programmes and structure for the newly established Colleges, suggested to the Lord Lieutenant (through the Under Secretary) on January 16, 1846 that Ulster King of Arms be asked to assign Arms to each College - this on the grounds that their Charters required them to use a Common Seal and that 'possession of a seal implies a device and arms thereon'. He declined, because of the unnecessary expense involved, and he suggested instead that 'their own taste may enable them to devise a suitable seal for each College, with the date of the foundation of the College and an appropriate motto either in Latin or English'. The Lord Lieutenant's own reaction to the request, as reflected in his note in the margin of the record, was rather more heated: 'I cannot see the slightest necessity for asking for the acceptance of the Ulster King of Arms in either case* - any engraver would furnish a Sketch for a Seal bearing the name of the College and the date of the Foundation – it might be either in Latin or English'.
(*The Board had suggested that the devising of an appropriate costume or robe for students and those in higher offices be also referred to Ulster King of Arms.)
There appears to be no further evidence as to the selection of the specific 'Deo Favente' motto in our case, but it would then presumably, in the light of that direction from the Lord Lieutenant, have been decided by the Council of the College itself, comprising the President, the Vice-President and the four Deans of Faculty, or perhaps by the President, Rev. Joseph Kirwan, himself.
These Arms were retained by the Governing Body when University College, Galway / Coláiste na hOllscoile, Gaillimh was established in 1908. The question of College Arms, intertwined with the rather more urgent issue of a College Seal, was discussed at several meetings of the Governing Body and its Standing Committee in 1909 and 1910. The Standing Committee (21/10/1910) 'decided to recommend the Governing Body to adopt the old arms of the College and have them confirmed and to appoint Prof. Trench and Dr. Henry to procure designs for a College Seal with a legend in Latin and Irish'. This recommendation was referred back to the Committee, and at its meeting on 2/3/1911 'it was decided to adopt an Armorial Seal with the legend "The Common Seal of University College Galway"', and it 'ordered that £10 (a sum not exceeding) be expended on Engraving'. At its meeting on 16/3/1911, 'it was ordered that the engraving be put in hand at once - the arms to be those of Queen's College'. On 16/5/1911, noting that a Common Seal had been procured in accordance with those directions of Standing Committee, the Governing Body formally adopted the Seal, though only by the casting vote of the President, following a proposal from Dr Mac Enrí that the words "until the Governing Body adopt another" be added. The dissent probably related to the legend's being only in English, rather than in Latin and Irish as recommended earlier by Standing Committee, as Dr Seán Mac Enrí proposed a motion (wording not reported) regarding the College Seal to the Governing Body meeting of 20/2/1912; it was referred to Standing Committee and eventually, with no report on it yet from the Committee, withdrawn by him almost a year later.
Progress on the question of the formal acquisition of College Arms was rather more protracted. Finance Committee (30/4/1915) reported as follows: 'A communication from the Office of Arms dealing with the Arms of the College was considered. The Committee considered that the College could not afford to pay £44 for a grant of Arms'. Matters rested thus till Standing Committee (19/1/1940) 'decided that the advisability of procuring the 'College Arms' be considered at its next meeting', and on 29/1/1941 'recommended to the Governing Body that the College Arms be obtained - cost £44'. Economic reality, however, soon intervened as it had previously: at its meeting on 26/2/1941, 'As a result of the discussion of the Estimates when the increasing yearly expenditure was stressed, the Committee decided to rescind its recommendation re the College Arms'.
The technical heraldic description is as follows:
Quarterly.
1. Gules a lion passant gardant (Or)
2. Vert a harp Or stringed Argent
3. Per Pale. Dexter: (Argent) an eagle displayed (Sable) dimidiated. Sinister: Azure an arm embowed issuant from the dexter flank and holding a dagger erect (proper)
4. Argent, on waves of the sea in base proper a galley Or with one mast and sail furled, the rigging charged with an escutcheon sable, thereon a lion rampant of the third Or.
There has, however, never been an official grant of those Arms, or any other Arms, to the College or University. The Board of Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the three Queen's Colleges (Belfast, Cork and Galway), set up to make recommendations to the Lord Lieutenant as to Statutes, programmes and structure for the newly established Colleges, suggested to the Lord Lieutenant (through the Under Secretary) on January 16, 1846 that Ulster King of Arms be asked to assign Arms to each College - this on the grounds that their Charters required them to use a Common Seal and that 'possession of a seal implies a device and arms thereon'. He declined, because of the unnecessary expense involved, and he suggested instead that 'their own taste may enable them to devise a suitable seal for each College, with the date of the foundation of the College and an appropriate motto either in Latin or English'. The Lord Lieutenant's own reaction to the request, as reflected in his note in the margin of the record, was rather more heated: 'I cannot see the slightest necessity for asking for the acceptance of the Ulster King of Arms in either case* - any engraver would furnish a Sketch for a Seal bearing the name of the College and the date of the Foundation – it might be either in Latin or English'.
(*The Board had suggested that the devising of an appropriate costume or robe for students and those in higher offices be also referred to Ulster King of Arms.)
There appears to be no further evidence as to the selection of the specific 'Deo Favente' motto in our case, but it would then presumably, in the light of that direction from the Lord Lieutenant, have been decided by the Council of the College itself, comprising the President, the Vice-President and the four Deans of Faculty, or perhaps by the President, Rev. Joseph Kirwan, himself.
These Arms were retained by the Governing Body when University College, Galway / Coláiste na hOllscoile, Gaillimh was established in 1908. The question of College Arms, intertwined with the rather more urgent issue of a College Seal, was discussed at several meetings of the Governing Body and its Standing Committee in 1909 and 1910. The Standing Committee (21/10/1910) 'decided to recommend the Governing Body to adopt the old arms of the College and have them confirmed and to appoint Prof. Trench and Dr. Henry to procure designs for a College Seal with a legend in Latin and Irish'. This recommendation was referred back to the Committee, and at its meeting on 2/3/1911 'it was decided to adopt an Armorial Seal with the legend "The Common Seal of University College Galway"', and it 'ordered that £10 (a sum not exceeding) be expended on Engraving'. At its meeting on 16/3/1911, 'it was ordered that the engraving be put in hand at once - the arms to be those of Queen's College'. On 16/5/1911, noting that a Common Seal had been procured in accordance with those directions of Standing Committee, the Governing Body formally adopted the Seal, though only by the casting vote of the President, following a proposal from Dr Mac Enrí that the words "until the Governing Body adopt another" be added. The dissent probably related to the legend's being only in English, rather than in Latin and Irish as recommended earlier by Standing Committee, as Dr Seán Mac Enrí proposed a motion (wording not reported) regarding the College Seal to the Governing Body meeting of 20/2/1912; it was referred to Standing Committee and eventually, with no report on it yet from the Committee, withdrawn by him almost a year later.
Progress on the question of the formal acquisition of College Arms was rather more protracted. Finance Committee (30/4/1915) reported as follows: 'A communication from the Office of Arms dealing with the Arms of the College was considered. The Committee considered that the College could not afford to pay £44 for a grant of Arms'. Matters rested thus till Standing Committee (19/1/1940) 'decided that the advisability of procuring the 'College Arms' be considered at its next meeting', and on 29/1/1941 'recommended to the Governing Body that the College Arms be obtained - cost £44'. Economic reality, however, soon intervened as it had previously: at its meeting on 26/2/1941, 'As a result of the discussion of the Estimates when the increasing yearly expenditure was stressed, the Committee decided to rescind its recommendation re the College Arms'.
References
- In relation to the early history, An Chartlann Náisiúnta / National Archives, Chief Secretary's Office Registered Papers (CSO/RP), file O.988, accessed in 2005 by S. Mac Mathúna.
- In relation to the heraldic description, unpublished correspondence in the archives of Oifig an Rúnaí in 1968 between Prof. G.A. Hayes McCoy (Professor of History), Christy Townley (Librarian) and the Archivist of the University of Glasgow in response to a query from the latter.
- In relation to consideration of the matter by UCG, Minutes of Governing Body, Standing Committee and Finance Committee accessed by S. Mac Mathúna
- In relation to the heraldic description, unpublished correspondence in the archives of Oifig an Rúnaí in 1968 between Prof. G.A. Hayes McCoy (Professor of History), Christy Townley (Librarian) and the Archivist of the University of Glasgow in response to a query from the latter.
- In relation to consideration of the matter by UCG, Minutes of Governing Body, Standing Committee and Finance Committee accessed by S. Mac Mathúna
Contributor
Bibliographic Citation
S. Mac Mathúna, 'Arms of QCG, UCG, NUI Galway and University of Galway / Ollscoil na Gaillimhe', Visual History Retired Staff Collection, University of Galway Digital Collections, Asset Id 14389, Archival Record Id VHRS
Text in image
DEO FAVENTE (= 'With God's Favour')
Temporal Coverage
Period
1840s
Category
Colour
Subject
Language
English
Irish
Latin
Irish
Latin
Publisher
University of Galway Library
Rights
This image may be used for non-commercial purposes under CC BY-NC-SA see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Provenance
Image provided and scanned by Séamus Mac Mathúna for the Visual History Retired Staff Collection in 2023