Old Salthill (05 06 2014)
Salthill was a small fishing village with some scattered farm buildings in the hinterland. There were two small clusters of thatched cottages in addition to the main village, one at Blackrock and one at Rockbarton but these were literally blown away on the ‘Night of the Big Wind’ and the occupants forced to move further inland.
Things began to improve after the Famine when a man named Barton bought land from the Encumbered Estates and built the ‘lodges’ in what we know as Rockbarton today. These were let out to visitors and helped the beginnings of a tourist trade in Salthill. The construction of the Eglinton Hotel was a major boost to the area.
The promenade (aka the prom) was probably built in the 1860’s or early 1870’s. It has many of the engineering characteristics of Grattan Road and is almost certainly contemporary. It was also probably built as a Famine Relief/Public Works type of scheme done by the Galway Town Improvement Commissioners. Before it was built, there was a narrow road running along the seashore which was very prone to flooding, as were some of the adjoining fields. It was a minor road to the west from the city, the main one being Taylors Hill/ Kingston. .
The Promenade was seen as a major tourist attraction of the day and was probably modelled on the one built in Bray. The road was narrow and winding as you can see from our photograph which was taken about one hundred years ago. There were occasional concrete seats installed and the newly arrived electricity poles made a dramatic impact on the landscape. The road surface was rough. There was virtually no beach to be seen, it came later when the piers and breakwaters were built, but ‘walking the prom’ was quickly becoming a Galway tradition. .
Further in the road, what we now know as Salthill Park was originally a large field with two small lakes. It was often used for Summer activities. The park as we know it was laid out by a professional landscaper about 1907. In 1925, a deputation from the Salthill Development Organisation asked the Corporation to clean up the cesspool there. Three years later, the Connacht Tribune reported the disgraceful condition of the park and shortly afterwards, the borough engineer submitted a scheme for filling in the hollow to about two feet, and the making of a terrace inside the wall at a cost of £270. The cost of cleaning the walks was £70. .
Toft’s Amusements were held in the park for a time but there were complaints about the noise from the locals, so the amusements transferred to the field in front of Maretimo, where Leisureland is today. .
Another park has been opened on the Prom in recent weeks dedicated to those who donated organs of relatives to patients and also to the recipients. It is a major asset to Salthill, an inspirational oasis of calm away from the traffic, a spiritual place to linger and to contemplate how precious life is, how precious love is. We are all indebted to Dennis and Martina Goggins for their dedication and persistence and hard work which resulted in this remarkable addition to Galway.
