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Old Galway
A COMMERCIAL CLUB EXCURSION TO CONG, 1915
by Tom Kenny
The Commercial Rowing Club was set up in May 1875. The Corrib Rowing and Yachting Club had been in existence since 1864, but as it was the only such club on the river, there was a distinct lack of competition for their oarsmen. Commercial provided that competition.
In July 1880, the Galway Vindicator reported that “a spirited and well contested rowing match took place between the clubs. The Corrib crew challenged their Commercial counterparts to race them in four-oared outriggers from Menlo Castle to the Wood Quay. After an exciting race attended by hundreds of spectators, the Corrib crew won by five lengths, the explanation offered that they had a new boat with sliding seats whilst the Commercial had a very old boat, fixed seats and weighed 50lbs. more than the Corrib boat”.
A HISTORIC GALWAY HURLING TEAM
by Tom Kenny
“We are blessed with the most wonderful field game in the world. No sport is more skilful, more graceful, more revealing of those who play it, and nobody who has seen hurling played by its greatest exponents can be in any doubt what beauty is, or graciousness or courtesy either.
There is something else that is innate to hurling; the spirit in which the game is played. You can hurt, maim or even kill a man with a blow from a camán. You can certainly intimidate an opponent more persistently and to more effect than in any other game. The camán can be a skilful instrument or a bloody weapon; that traditionally it has been the former rather than the latter is something to be proud of – something to be properly cherished and nurtured. Without a certain decency of spirit, hurling would be rendered ugly. Decency in this sense is, like the game itself, distinctly Irish”.
THE FISHMARKET
by Tom Kenny
It is a pity really that we cannot see this photograph in colour because what we are looking at must have been a wonderful, colourful, animated scene full of black shawls, patterned and coloured shawls, blue cloaks and red cloaks, white aprons, práiscíns, baskets, scibs, barrels, fisherwomen from the Claddagh, customers from the town. Imagine the noisy competition between the sellers, the lively female eloquence, the haggling ...“Fresh fish, Johnny Dory, Lovely Mackerel” etc. It all sounds like great fun and very romantic but of course it was vital for the Claddagh women who were trying to make a living, to make enough to support their families.
BUTTERMILK LANE
by Tom Kenny
At the time this photograph was taken about one hundred years ago, Buttermilk Lane was made up of tenement buildings some of which housed multiple families. For example, three families lived in Number 2 in 1911; three in Number 4; five in Number 6. There were people with nine different surnames in Number 7 and eight different surnames in Number 8.
Among those who lived on the right were Connollys who were shoemakers; Kennedys ; McDonaghs ; another Connolly who had a little grocery shop ; Haynes’ . Tom Daly lived around the corner and the rooms over him were occupied by the Kelly family. Michael Hehir lived on the left hand side as did Patrick Murphy; Mrs. King and her son Tommy; Mrs. Cox; Mr. Burns, a tinsmith ; Mr. Barrett lived at the end and Mrs. Connolly at the top.
THE DYKE ROAD
by Tom Kenny
The Dyke Road was originally known as ‘The Terryland Embankment’. In 1847, a group known as The Corrib Development Company applied for compensation claiming they had spent a considerable sum constructing the embankment --- at the time the river was very prone to serious flooding. The Commissioner for Public Works took over possession of the works after giving evidence in reply to the claim for compensation. They pointed out that the embankment was partially built in 1839, but after the water had risen that winter, it had given way. The Company carried out more works of reconstruction in 1840, but the flood waters burst it again. The river would flood on each occasion as far as Castlegar. The embankment was left unfinished until 1845 when the Company tried once more but failed to retain the river. They were subsequently compensated. The building of the canal a few years later greatly alleviated the flooding problems.
ST. ANNE’S ORPHANAGE
by Tom Kenny
St. Anne’s was situated in Lenaboy Castle on Taylor’s Hill. The old part of that building dates from the early 18th century. The house, which was situated on 63 acres of land, belonged to Colonel James O’Hara who was, in 1885, Chairman of the Town Commissioners and who founded a number of Galway industries. A lane led from the house to the gate of the estate which was beside where the Warwick Hotel is today.
CALLING ALL JES OARSMEN AND WOMEN
by Tom Kenny
Rules governing the rowing of schoolboys were formalised by the Irish Amateur Rowing Union in 1927, and rowing schools began to make more frequent appearances at regattas. The Jes had been closed for a number of years due to a lack of numbers but it reopened in 1929. Five years later, a group of pupils met in Keogh’s Shop beside the school (where Kai is today) to discuss the idea of forming a school rowing club. As there was no one in the school to take charge, their application was turned down. They were persistent, however, and in October of that year, 1934, they made another appeal and this time they were successful. They had to put together a crew, find a coach, get a boat and a base on the river to start.
THE DIVING TOWER AT BLACKROCK
by Tom Kenny
The warm summer of 1885 encouraged Mr. Moon and his friends to place a springboard at Blackrock where there is a tidal range of 17’3”. This did not please the landlord Col. O’Hara who made life difficult for the bathers, often denying them access to the bathing area. In 1909 he took six defendants to court for trying to create a right of way but eventually some form of reconciliation was arrived at the following year between O’Hara and the Urban Council where he would “Grant to the Galway Urban Council a lease of the premises known as “The Black Rock”, with a right of way on foot over the path leading to such, at an annual rate of £1, the place being used for bathing purposes by the public”.