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Old Galway
THE HEAD OF THE RIVER (14 03 13)
Rowing is a sport of endurance, strength and finesse, a sport naturally suited to Galway where the river connects Lough Corrib with the sea. The earliest reference we have to competitive rowing on the Galway River is 1839. The first rowing club established here was the Corrib Rowing and Yachting Club in 1864 (149 years ago!) and as other clubs formed, ‘rowing matches’ became more competitive. In 1868, Commercial Rowing Club was formed and the inter-club rivalry generated a lot of interest in the sport.Later came the Royal Galway Yacht Club; St. Patrick’s Rowing Club which was also known as the Temperance Club; Celtic Rowing Club;
A Procession on O'Brien's Bridge (07 03 13)
Our photograph today is of a group from the Sodality in the Jes being led by Bobby Molloy with the IHS flag. They are crossing O’Brien’s Bridge as part of the annual Procession of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Willy Forken is in front of the right hand row, and among the others are Johnny Holland and Johnny Whelan.
STUDENT REVOLUTIONARIES (28-02-13)
Seamus Murphy was the officer commanding the Galway Brigade of the IRA from 1917 to 1920. He was very conservative and vetoed a lot of proposed operations. He eventually moved back to Dublin where he was heard complaining that he could not get any Galway men to fight. At one stage he made tear gas for the University College Galway Company of the IRA and he nearly blinded himself in the process. This company took part in the ambush on the Lough George barracks in May 1920.“Paddy Mullins was in charge. Nicko Ryan was the local commandant. The British captured one of our scouts who was the son of a head constable of the RIC.
The Joyces of Mervue (21-02-13)
The first recorded use of the name Joyce was Joy in the 13th century State papers. Sometime the name was rendered as Joy, Joyces, Jorz, Jorse or the standard spelling --- Joyce. The Joyces of Mervue were a distinguished branch of the family. Marcus Joyce, a rich merchant who bought land in County Mayo in the late 16th century, was probably the founder of this branch. About a century later, the Joyces emerged as a leading merchant family in Galway. Hardiman states that Joyce’s house was at the corner of Abbeygate Street and Market Street and that this family was head of the name’. They were eminent wine merchants.
Galway Abbatoir (14 02 13)
In the early days, farmers killed their own livestock, and in urban areas, the killing was done by butchers. These victuallers would hang raw carcasses of meat outside their shops to show how fresh they were and to attract customers. It was only when the City Fathers built an abattoir at the junction of Newtownsmyth and Bowling Green that slaughtering became subject to veterinary inspection and control in Galway. Our photograph was taken in 1966 and shows sheep awaiting their turn to enter the slaughterhouse through the grill gateway. They had already been in the yard for five days. The yard was connected to the abattoir buildings.
St. Joseph's Church (07-02-13)
On this day, February 7th, in the year 1886, St. Joseph’s Church was consecrated. It was to be the main church of the Parish of Rahoon, which at that time extended from Corcullen to Furbo. There were already two chapels in the parish, one in Bushypark and one in Barna and they served their own areas. For those parishioners living closer to the town, there was no designated church. Some would attend mass in the chapel of the Presentation Convent, but it was not very large and worshippers often had to kneel on the ground outside, irrespective of the weather conditions. The parish had a big population and major annual events such as Confirmation had to be moved to the Pro-Cathedral.
Calling All Claddagh School Pupils (31 01 13)
The Historian James Hardiman, in describing the Claddagh said “It is said that they considered it a kind of reproach either to speak English or to send their children to school, and that a schoolmaster among them would be considered a phenomenon; but of late there are some exceptions to this rule. How far education would make these people happier in themselves, or more useful members of society, is a matter of doubt, but it is certain that the trial has never been made, although a most respectable convent lies at the head of their village, to which they are liberal benefactors”.So in the early part of the 19th century, there was some softening in the opposition of Claddagh folk to education.
The Claddagh Quay (24 01 13)
This photograph of the quayside in the Claddagh is one of the remarkable images in a book entitled ‘Jane W. Shackleton’s Ireland’ compiled by Christiaan Corbett and published by Collins Press. Jane was given a camera and she went around Ireland with it between 1891 and 1906. She built up a remarkable collection, some which are included in this delightful book.The photograph was taken was ‘The Bankeen’ and shows the railings of the Church on the right. The lane running along the priory wall up from the quay was known as Dogfish Lane and among those who lived there were the Moores, the Concannons, the Rushe family, the O’Connors and the O’Donnells.