Monument to Christopher Columbus (Galway)
# Monument to Christopher Columbus (Galway)

The Monument to Christopher Columbus is a monument in Galway, Ireland. The memorial was erected in 1992, the year of the Columbus Quincentenary, to commemorate Christopher Columbus's visit to the city in 1477. It stands next to the Spanish Arch.

## History

In 1992, a sculpture honouring Christopher Columbus' visit to Galway in 1477 was commissioned from Cork artist Mick Wilkins. The sculpture was gifted by Genoa, Columbus's hometown, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's setting sail on the voyage that would result in his landing in North America.

The inscription on the plinth reads:

   on these shores around 1477 the genoese sailor cristoforo colombo found sure signs of land beyond the atlantic
   la citta di genova alla citta de galway 29.vi.1992

In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests, a number of monuments were removed or vandalized around the world, this included a number of Christopher Columbus statues in the United States. The monument in Galway was defaced on June 10, with calls to remove the monument.

