Old Galway
The Docker's Rugby Team
by Tom Kenny
Galway Rovers Rugby Football club first played competitively in 1899. In 1907, they won the Connacht Junior Cup, which had been presented two years previously to the Union by Professor Alfred Senior. The club disbanded after that, probably during World War 1, but it was revived by a man named John L. Sullivan in 1931.
THE SPANISH ARCH FROM LONG WALK
by Tom Kenny
Long Walk was originally built as a wall by the Eyre family in order to construct a mud berth. Among those who lived there around the time this photograph was taken were Tom Gannon, Sarah O’Donnellon, Mrs. Hosty and Pateen Green. There was an entry through a large archway into a courtyard known as Green’s Alley and the five houses there were occupied by the Andersons, McDonaghs, Canavans, Gorhams and Finnertys. A Mrs. McDonagh lived next door in a building known as ‘The Hall’ and further on lived Mrs. Lee, John Folan, Bideen Joyce, Ella McDonagh, Mrs. Folan and Mike Walsh.
A Pig Fair in Eyre Square
by Tom Kenny
Hely Dutton, in his survey of County Galway in 1824 wrote “In every considerable town there is a market for fat cattle and sheep once a week. The earliest cattle fairs in Galway were held at Fairhill (hence the name) but in the 19th century, they moved to Eyre Square. It was where the farmer sold his product to other farmers, to butchers and to visiting dealers. It was where town and country met, where the rural people would come to town to sell, then buy whatever necessities they needed before returning home.
Salthill Post Office
by Tom Kenny
In 1851, a sub-post office opened in Salthill where the Bal pub is today. In 1859, Salthill was brought within the town postal area. In those early days, the post was delivered on foot. The first bicycle postal delivery was in 1901. From 1914 to 1926, Michael O’Flaherty of Dominick Street and Mike Ruane of Henry Street had a horse and van which they used to deliver letter and parcel post to the Salthill area.
The Salmon Weir Bridge
by Tom Kenny
The original purpose of the structure that is the Salmon Weir Bridge was to connect the New County Courthouse with the County Gaol on Nun’s Island. Urban folklore has it that they built a tunnel under the river at the time in order to transfer prisoners from one building to the other, but why would they construct a crossing over and under the water at the same time. It does not make sense. The building of the seven span bridge started in 1818 and finished in 1819.
THE GALWAY GENERAL OMNIBUS COMPANY
by Tom Kenny
The first regular public transport service in Galway was run by the Galway and Salthill Tramway Company which started business on October 1st, 1879 and which by 1885 was being used by in excess of 105,000 passengers per year. During the First World War, most of the company’s best horses were commandeered by the British Army and there was more and more competition from motorised vehicles, so the tramway ceased trading in April 1918.
COUNTY INFIRMARY
by Tom Kenny
A meeting of the Corporation held on April 17th, 1766 decided that “A committee consisting of the principal gentlemen of the town, be, and are accordingly appointed to inquire and find out a proper place within the county of the town of Galway for erecting a public infirmary or hospital for the reception of the poor, sick and disabled persons”.
SNOW COVERED SALTHILL
by Tom Kenny
This wintry photograph of part of Salthill was probably taken during the war as there are no vehicle tracks in the snow, indeed there are no vehicles to be seen. The shop on the right was built by a Miss Burke who came here from Castlerea in 1935. It was a grocery and sweet shop with advertisements on the wall outside for plug tobacco.
The stone wall beside it fronted a vacant site where Claude Toft eventually built his amusements arcade and casino. Claude was one of Salthill’s great characters who would eventually become mayor of Galway.