Colm Galvin was born in Dublin on 2 August 1921. He was educated at Belvedere College, Dublin, and studied medicine at St Vincent's Hospital, where he was house surgeon and resident surgical officer. He went to London to be house surgeon to the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, and then did registrar posts at Queen Mary's Roehampton and St Mark's, where he did the research that gained him his masters. He was subsequently senior registrar in Norwich, before being made consultant surgeon in St Catherine's Hospital, Tralee. He was later appointed consultant at the University College and Galvia Hospitals, Galway. He was lecturer in the department of surgery at University Hospital Galway from 1970 to 1986, when he retired. He travelled extensively, was awarded the Council of Europe fellowship to visit Lund, Sweden, in 1962 and a World Health fellowship to visit the United States in 1967. He was president of the St Mark's Association in 1979. He played an active part in Irish medical politics, enjoyed company, music and the countryside. He died of Parkinson's disease on 7 May 1997, leaving his wife Mary and four daughters, one of whom became a general practitioner. There were five grandchildren.