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Old Galway
The 'New' Cemetery
In the second half of the 19th century, the overcrowded condition of the graveyards of Galway was an issue which faced the Town Commissioners. At a meeting in mid-April 1873, one person mentioned that in the previous 30 years, almost two and a half thousand burials had taken place in the little cemetery in the Claddagh, largely as a result of the Famine and its aftermath.
A Letter from the Sheriff
On the night of the 18th of August, 1882, 5 members of one family, John Joyce, his wife Brighid, his mother Mairéad, his daughter Peigí, and his son Micheál, were murdered in Maamtrasna on theGalway/Mayo border. The motive for this multiple murder is unclear, but John was suspected of sheep stealing, his mother of being an informer and his daughter of cavorting with the RIC who would have been the natural enemy of the locals. Two members of the family survived the horrific attack; a nine year old boy Patsy who was badly injured, and his older brother Máirtín who was working for a family in a neighbouring farm on the night.
St. Patrick's Brass Band
One of Galway’s most enduring, most enjoyable and most enjoyed institutions is the community based musical group, St. Patrick’s Brass Band. They were founded in Forster Street in 1896 and they have been entertaining Galwegians since.
Newtownsmith (05 05 16)
There is a very interesting map of “St Stephen’s Island” in Mary Naughten’s excellent little history of the Parish of St. Francis in Woodquay. It is dated 1785 and shows the beginnings of what would be now known as Newtownsmith. It consisted mostly of small houses, yards malt houses and a burial ground. This ‘new town’ was largely built by the Governors of the Erasmus Smith estate. In this suburb, a county court house was erected between 1812 and 1815, and a town courthouse during 1824. In 1823 it was objected that there were several suitable sites for a new courthouse ‘immediately in the town’ and that it was ’quite idle’ to lay foundations in Newtownsmith, or in any part of the suburb.
Connacht Rugby (28 04 16)
The first team to represent Connacht in rugby played against Leinster on December 8th, 1885. At that time, the game in the west was played by just a few schools. In the city, it was really only UCG and the Grammar School who played with any regularity. By the beginning of the last century the Jes, the Bish and St. Marys were competing. The growth of the game was interrupted by World War 1 and by the War of Independence, but it improved a lot after the truce.
'Shoots' (21 04 16)
Many people will remember “Shoots” as one of the most lovable and delightful characters on the streets of Galway. He was a small man with a big moustache, big glasses and a big personality. His real name was Michael Tuite. He was reared in Artane in Dublin but came to live here at a time when`it was mostly cowboy pictures that were shown in our cinemas Michael was a fan and began to act as if he himself was a cowpoke. Galwegians gradually changed the greeting “Howya Tuite” to “Shoots”, probably with a little help from the man himself.
Geraghty's Man's Shop (14 04 16)
“Good clothes are needed by the men of today and Geraghty & Sons can supply the perfectly tailored suit you need in 4 days. Tailored in our own workshops. Have your clothes made by the men with five generations of Tailoring experience behind them. See our range of suitings, serges and overcoats. 50 shillings, Suit or Overcoat. Customers own materials made up at reduced prices. Special terms for C.M. & T. To the trade. Geraghty & Sons, Lombard St. Galway”.
The Collegiate Church (07 04 16)
The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas of Myra is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland and its history is a kind of microcosm of the history of Galway. The earliest part of the present churc h dates from the beginning of the 14th century and includes the chancel with its three windows in the south wall. However it is possible that there was an earlier structure on the site. There is a legend that a man from the Aran Islands who died in 1580 aged 220 years could remember a time when the church did not exist but that just sounds a likely story. The records that exist suggest that the church was founded in or about the year 1320.