PART OF FORSTER STREET, 1905

by Tom Kenny

This photograph, taken from an old glass slide, shows some important personage in an escorted carriage leaving the Great Southern Hotel. There are some mounted liveried gentlemen in front and two RIC men on horseback behind the carriage, which is hidden by the RIC men. You can see a policeman on foot to the right of our picture.

The tramlines in the foreground lead to the terminus which was in Forster Street which was named after the Blake-Forsters, an eminent family, several of whom were mayors of Galway. The street was known as Boherbeg (as opposed to Bohermore). It appears on an 1820 Eyre document as ‘The Mail Coach Road’. The small black hut you see on the right was a toll booth, known locally as ‘the custom box’. It was the busiest toll booth in Galway and in the twelve months leading up to May 15^th, 1913, the authorities collected £654 – 10 -2 here. They paid out wages of £56-5-6 in that time so the profit to the city was £598-4-8, a lot of money in those times.

The pub on the corner (later Fox’s) was then owned by Hollands and was known as The American Bar. Next door was Lizzy Rooney, then Mrs. Donoghue’s, Sarah Cannon’s, Mike Gallagher’s, Durkans and Amby Roches. The tall building was Powell’s. Part of the ground floor was occupied by a lady known as ‘Girleen Grealish’ who had an ice cream shop. There was a large archway in the building which led into the tram yard. A Walsh family lived in this building too. Next door was Mahon’s Hotel, formerly known as Madigan’s.

In the distance, you might be able to just about see the Clifden Line railway bridge which crossed the street near the Magdalen Laundry. Under the bridge were two houses occupied by Kennedys and Nees.

On the opposite side of Forster Street (where Garveys is now) was Michael John Lydon’s pub. Next door was Kathleen Ita O’Donoghue who composed poetry and printed beautiful Christmas cards. Next door was Tessie Lydon’s house, then Fahys the coachbuilders, Greaney’s Public House, Miss Kyne’s Flour Shop, Duffy’s, Flattery’s, Joyce’s, Tom Fahy’s (previously Billy Forde’s), Murty Rabbitte’s, John Mahon’s, Phillips’, “Copper” Walshe’s, Johnny O’Leary’s, Nurse McKeon’s, the gate of St. Patrick’s Church, ‘Mamo’ Spellman’s, Harry Clare’s, Isaac’s, Mike Spellman’s and finally Kings.

In Frenchville at the time lived Mary Heffernan, Christy Burke, ‘Tomeen’ Cullinane, then Gallagher’s workshop, a blacksmith’s forge and Healy’s Manure Store.

The Old Galway Society will host a lecture this evening entitled The Claddagh Ring and other Love Tokens”. It will take place in the Victoria Hotel starting at 8pm and will be presented by Phyllis McNamara. All are welcome.