James Lynch (fl.1574–1591) was Mayor of Galway

Mayor of Galway

The office of Mayor of Galway is an honorific title used by the of Galway City Council. The Council has jurisdiction throughout its administrative area which is the city of Galway – the largest city in the province of Connacht, in the Republic of Ireland. The office was originally established by a...

 from 1590 to 1591.

Lynch was a member of The Tribes of Galway. He appears to have been the first merchant of Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

 with an ownership claim to the Aran Islands

Aran Islands

The Aran Islands or The Arans are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. They constitute the barony of Aran in County Galway, Ireland...

, becoming involved with a dispute concerning the town's Corporation

Corporation

A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...

's customs to the then owners, the Clan Tiege of Aran, and subsequent ownership issues with Murrough na dTuadh Ó Flaithbheartaigh

Murrough na dTuadh Ó Flaithbheartaigh

-Ancestry:Great-great-great-grandson of Brian na Noinseach, son of Donall na Comthach Ó Flaithbheartaigh . Appointed Chief of the Name by Elizabeth I. Included in the 1585 Composition of Connacht....

, Lord of Iar Connacht

Iar Connacht

Iar Chonnachta , was a region covering all of County Galway west of the river Corrib and Lough Corrib; Maigh Seola; and part of the barony of Ross in County Mayo.-Description:The area of Co...

 (fl.

Floruit

Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...

 1569–1593). Murrough mac Toirdelbach Ó Briain

Murrough mac Toirdelbach Ó Briain

Murrough mac Toirdelbach Ó Briain, Chief of the Name, the Clan Tiege of Aran, fl. 1575 - 1588.-Family background:Ó Briain was the senior member of the Mac Teige, or Clan Teige Ó Briain, of Inishmore, in Galway Bay. They were descended from Teige Ó Briain, great-grandson of Brian Boru, from whom...

, Chief of the Name, (fl.

Floruit

Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...

 1575–1588) made an agreement with Lynch in June that if the Clan Teige should become extinct, he "should be their sole heir and possess Aron and their whole islands."

They eventually passed into the ownership of his son, Sir Henry Lynch.

Lynch was elected Mayor of Galway

Mayor of Galway

The office of Mayor of Galway is an honorific title used by the of Galway City Council. The Council has jurisdiction throughout its administrative area which is the city of Galway – the largest city in the province of Connacht, in the Republic of Ireland. The office was originally established by a...

 in summer of 1590. In that year, a belfry

Bell tower

A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...

 was erected in the town's St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church

St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church

The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland in continuous use as a place of worship. It is located in Galway in the Republic of Ireland and was founded in 1320, dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Myra, the patron saint of seafarers...

, his name been inscribed upon one of the bells. Just before he left office on 23 August 1591, he wrote a letter to Sir Richard Bingham

Richard Bingham

Sir Richard Bingham was an English soldier and naval commander, who served in Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I during the conquest of the country and was appointed governor of Connacht.- Early life and military career :...

, then Governor

Governor

A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...

 of Connacht

Connacht

Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...

, complaining that because the use of French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

ships had been banned by the government, the wealth of the town was in severe decline.