The Organs of Galway Cathedral

The Gallery Organ

The gallery organ of Galway Cathedral is the finest in the west of Ireland. Originally built in 1966 by Rushworth & Dreaper of Liverpool (just a year after the Cathedral itself was dedicated), it was rebuilt and greatly expanded by Irish organ-builder Trevor Crowe between February 2006 and the summer of 2007.

The organ has 59 registers, divided over three manuals and pedals, as well as the usual couplers and accessories. The action is electro-pneumatic throughout. In character it is warmly Romantic, particularly so given the cavernous acoustic of the building.

The instrument is located on the Cathedral wall above the west (so-called; actually the north) gallery. The Great and Positive divisions are located directly above the gallery, as are the most of the larger pipes of the Pedal; the Swell is housed in a separate enclosed chamber in the west tower of the Cathedral, while as of the 2007 rebuild the Pedal upperwork and the Open Wood rank are located in the corresponding chamber in the east tower.

The console is detached, and located at the centre front of the choir gallery. The original Rushworthe & Dreaper console was replaced in the 2007 rebuild with an entirely new console, made to be as compact as possible (the large size of the old console caused considerable difficulty for the choir in the Cathedral liturgy) and equipped with the most up-to-date registration aids for the player.

The Choir Organ

In 2006 the Cathedral acquired a portable one-manual instrument with four registers (Stopped Diapason 8, Principal 4, Flute 4, Fifteenth 2). This resides normally in one of the side chapels, and is used for smaller-scale liturgy in these chapels as well as in a continuo role in concerts.

Rushworth & Dreaper, 1966
Trevor Crowe, 2007