The fourteen families who dominated the political, commercial and social life of Galway City from the 1400s to the 1700s were called the "Tribes of Galway". As a result, the city is to this day known as the ""City of the Tribes". The Lynch family, in particular, monopolised the office of mayor over this period. The ffonts and ffrenches are the only Irish families not to spell their surnames with a capital letter.
