Columbus Monument in Galway

Christopher Columbus was a famed Genoese explorer whose 1492 expedition across the Atlantic is famous for his ‘discovery’ of America. Having visited Galway in 1477, a monument commemorating this visit was unveiled in 1992, having been donated by the city of Genoa to mark the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ famous voyage. In the wake of the 2020 ‘Black Lives Matter’ (BLM) protests following the murder of George Floyd, the monument was defaced, and the local branch of the left-wing People Before Profit Party called for its removal. With no other party joining People Before Profit in this call – and with the Party having no representatives of its own on Galway City Council to push for removal – the monument remains in place.