Our Team

Meet Our Team

Our core staff work tirelessly to maintain the fabric of our treasured building, to promote it as a destination for heritage and culture tourism, for live music performance, and for corporate dinner functions, as well as ensuring the smooth running of all of the daily functions of a working parish church.

Very Rev. Lynda Peilow

Provost of Tuam

Provost Lynda Peilow has been the rector of the Galway Group of Parishes, which includes St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, Galway and Kilcummin Church, Oughterard, since 2018. Provost Peilow is the Provost of Tuam, Precentor of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick, and Canon of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Killala. She is also a chaplain to Galway’s four hospitals and serves as the Church of Ireland Chaplain in the University of Galway, and Atlantic Technological University. Provost Peilow has become well known in her roles and civic responsibilities in the City of Galway, and her appointment in Galway made history as she was the first female rector in St. Nicholas’ 700-year history. She continues to lead the many teams in St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church and is especially proud of the church’s Athnuachan (revival and renewal) project. Her vision is to restore and protect St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church as a heritage site, a place of worship, and a centre of excellence for choral music and the arts for the next 700 years.

John Kennedy

Operations Manager & Events Officer

John oversees the day-to-day running of the building — a living place of worship that also serves as a cherished heritage site, cultural venue, and community hub. He is responsible for managing visitor and heritage operations and supporting our dedicated staff and volunteers. This includes overseeing maintenance and conservation of the historic building, ensuring compliance with safety and safeguarding standards, and managing bookings for concerts, private events, and our popular gala dinners.

Lori Phillips

Church Administrator

You will find Lori ensuring that the administration of the Church’s spiritual activities runs smoothly.

Adam Burke

Tourism & Events Officer

You will find Adam doing a little bit of everything! From providing daily guided tours, to assisting in event administration, to the planning and operation of events, and also in social media management. Pop in and see what he’s up to.

Ella Ní Cheallaigh

Tourism, Events, & Retail Officer

Ella Ní Cheallaigh is the Tourism, Events, and Retail Officer at St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church. In her role, she oversees the day-to-day running of the church’s retail space, develops and enhances the visitor experience, coordinates tour bookings, and works collaboratively with local partners. A Galway native from Connemara, Ella is a fluent Irish speaker (Gaeilgeoir) and holds a Master’s degree in Public History from University College Dublin. She is passionate about making history accessible and enjoyable for all audiences.

Volunteering

Our volunteers help our church services to run, ensure that our doors are always open for visitors and create a team that brings our ancient space into the modern world. Would you like to sign up as a volunteer? Fill out our form below and we will get back to you!

Book a Tour

Take a tour of the church and walk through the ancient aisles with an historian, or climb the famous bell tower and ring the ancient bells for all of Galway to hear.