JOYFUL CHAOS, THE CHRISTMAS MARKET

by Tom Kenny

For many people, the Christmas market takes place in Eyre Square and involves a big wheel, hurdy-gurdies and German beer tents. For others, it is part of a Galway tradition that goes back some 800 years under the shadow of the old grey St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church. This was the fruit and vegetable market which expanded greatly at this time of the year with the big influx of turkeys and geese for sale.

In 1938, the market was described as the biggest seen for years. “From early morning buses, motor cars and horses and carts, carrying picturesquely-attired country people, arrived in the city. The horses, donkeys and carts quickly, with their quotas of turkeys and geese, took their places in the market place in orderly fashion. Each cart was backed up against the footpath leaving ample room for the hurrying traffic to pass by. Thousands of turkeys and geese were bought up. Turkeys were sold in the earlier part of the day for as much as 1s. per pound, but the price dropped later to 10d per pound. There were many more geese than turkeys on offer and these sold for 5s., 7s., and 8s. according to size”.

In 1956, it was much the same "From early dawn a cavalcade of horse and donkey carts, traps and vans converged on the tiny square, cramming it to capacity. Business was already in full swing by 9am with trade over-flowing out into neighbouring streets in all directions. the entire area was a beehive of activity, the gobbling of turkeys and the gaggling of geese mingling with the shrill cries of the bargainers and hecklers. Trade was more than brisk and prices, from a housewife's point of view, were good. Cocks went from 1s. 6d. to 2s. per lb., hens fetched from 2s. to 2s. 6d. per lb. Only the best could pass muster and the pleading and cajoling of vendors fell on deaf ears. Geese sold at between 23s. and 27s., eggs were about 6s. a score while cabbage sold at 3d. per head. Potatoes were 2s. 6d. a stone and turnips sold at 2d. and 3d. each".

There you would see tall handsome women, dark-haired and dignified, some wearing shawls, others wearing 'modern' coats and hats, island women whose features speak hardiness and force of character, men of fine physique their faces healthily browned by sea and mountain winds, old men in homespuns, younger men in tailored suits and coloured felts of fashion, all of them alike in keenness of selling and shrewdness of buying. The colourful scene was heightened by splashes of red-berried holly and verdant Christmas trees.

Our photographs show the two sides of the story, the shawled lady (c.1920) who may well have walked into town carrying her basket with two turkeys she was hoping to sell; the other is from the Fr. Browne collection and shows some customers gathered around a cart inspecting the goods, one of whom has bought a basket full of eggs and another who has purchased a goose.

The biggest market was the one about a week before Christmas when people stocked up for the occasion. It was a wonderful tradition, Galway at its most Christmassy and not a Christmas light or decoration to be seen.