This church was built and dedicated to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of the traveller, in 1320. Following a successful petition to Pope Innocent VIII in 1484, the church was rendered collegiate and was controlled by a warden and eight vicars. The structure itself has been repeatedly rebuilt and renovated, and the tower wasn't built until the early 1500s. These changes were partly because this church changed hands many times between the Catholic and the Anglican communions.St. Nicholas' Church contains fine examples of Galway's medieval stone carvings, many of which are carved on the ornate tombs. This church is also renowned as the place where Christopher Columbus offered his last prayers before his epic journey to the New World. Services still take place here each Sunday.