Teen Chloe is sound as a bell!

At noon every Friday, the bells ring out in the heart of Galway City – from the largest medieval parish church in Ireland – to give hope to everyone affected by the pandemic and in praise of all the frontline workers.

With the relatively quiet streets and roads, the bells of St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church can be heard in Taylor’s Hill and Newcastle, according to the rector, the Very Rev Lynda Peilow.

And the sound of pealing bells have become a weekly highlight for people under lockdown, with people hailing the initiative on Facebook from as far away as the UK and US. Last week’s live-streamed performance had thousands of views.

Her 17-year-old daughter Chloe is the only one of eight graduates from the recently formed Campanology School to ring the bells during the Covid-19 emergency, as the rectory on Taylor’s Hill is within 2km of the church (that restriction has today been changed to 5km).

The students trained under parishioner Dr Paddy Delaney to learn the art of bell-ringing as part of their 700th anniversary celebrations this year.

“We did some renovations to the tower for the anniversary to improve access because it is very high up but nothing was done to the bells themselves. We don’t know how old the bells are but we don’t think they are 700 years old,” Rev Linda explains.

“It is quite physical ringing them. You can’t be afraid of heights, you have to be able to climb as they’re accessed by a windy, old fashioned stairs. On New Year’s Eve it took two people to ring them so there’s quite a bit to it.”

That performance was also livestreamed online and has racked up over 61,000 views to date. The ships anchored in the harbour sounded their foghorns in response to acknowledge the fact that St Nicholas of Myra is patron saint to mariners – as well children.

Chloe plays some standard peals as well as hymns and music suitable to the season.

During the lockdown, the Church has celebrated Earth Day by urging parishioners to take a photo of their favourite nearby tree.

Virtual voices of St Nicholas’ Schola Cantorum also regularly join together for performances which appear on their Facebook page.