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Old Galway
SCOIL FHURSA, NÓCHA BLIAIN AG FÁS
by Tom Kenny
The Irish Church Missions was the missionary wing of the Church of Ireland & England. They were a very rich organisation who felt it was imperative to convert Roman Catholics “from the errors of Popery”. Around the year 1850, they had two houses in Merchant’s Road and established a school in one of them (known as The Dover School) where a child might get an evening meal and a night’s lodging after attending a bible class.
They felt a new Mission Schoolhouse and dormitory was needed, so in 1862, they built it at Nile Lodge and it became known as “The Sherwood Fields Orphanage”. The building, which was much smaller then, was of cut stone and consisted of a church and a classroom facing south with a dwelling house in the centre. Behind was the refectory. Some of the floors were paved with cobble stones. Like most ‘Bird’s Nest’ schools it was a boarding school and housed mainly Conamara children. Because of the proselytising, the Catholic clergy and most of the population were against the school. The food consisted mostly of Indian meal and brochán, a kind of soup that lead to the term ‘Soupers’.
AIDAN HEFFERNAN, A SPORTING CHAMPION
by Tom Kenny
Aidan was one of thirteen children born to John and Lena Heffernan who lived in 143, Bohermore. John was originally from Lower Salthill and worked in the ESB. Aiden went to school in St. Patrick’s and later to Moneenageesha.
His older brother Michael John became a champion boxer, so it was only natural for Aidan to follow in his footsteps. When he was eleven years old, he joined St. Patrick’s Boxing club and he trained with them in the Community Centre which was close to the terraces in Bohermore. It was a very lively and active club overseen by people like Fr. Seán Foy, Mickey Fitzgerald and Pa Curran. The boxing coach was Seán Harty, himself a former champion, and he excelled at training and encouraging the young hopefuls.
FROM TRAMS TO BUSES
by Tom Kenny
When the Galway-Salthill Tramway ceased trading in 1918, it caused a problem for locals who had been using the service as public transport so a group of local businessmen came together on April 5th, 1919 to register, The Galway General Omnibus Company Limited as a public company. The directors were Thomas McDonough, Joe Young, Robert Mackie, Michael Crowley, Philip O’Gorman, Martin Hynes and Martin Finan. John Leech was the secretary and Joseph Garvey the manager.
Their registered offices and garage were at Victoria Place. The garage was a rectangular shed with two annexes, one of which was used as a workshop with an inspection pit and work benches. Their rolling stock on opening consisted of three vehicles, a double-decker Commer bus with seating for 48 people, an open top Karrier double-decker bus with 49 seats and a single decker for winter service to Salthill. All of them were chain driven, were fitted with solid tyres and had carbide lamps for night driving. There were regular breakdowns, mostly involving the chain coming off, and passengers often had to get out and push the vehicle. The body work on the buses was all done by Fahy Coachbuilders who were based in Forster Street.
THE GALWAY/SALTHILL TRAMWAY
by Tom Kenny
The Galway and Salthill Tramway Company was inaugurated in 1877. The Town Commissioners gave the project every encouragement and extended the time limit in which the tracks had to be laid. The single tramline was two and a quarter miles long with 8 passing loops, roughly 250 yards apart. The rails were heavy steel, the gauge was three feet wide and the trams were horse-drawn, there was no electricity in Galway for another twelve years or so. The cost of construction was £13,000. The depot was in Forster Street and the western terminus was opposite the Eglinton Hotel.
The Irish Times of October 2nd, 1879, reported that General Hutchinson, Government Inspector of Railways and Tramways, expressed himself highly pleased with the mode of construction and the manner in which the work had been carried out. “Yesterday, at two o’clock, the gentry of the town and the surrounding locality were invited to seats in the tramway cars on their maiden trips to Salthill, and the greatest enthusiasm was evinced on the part of the public, who assembled in thousands along the streets, and wished, in their own native simplicity a very long life and prosperity to the contractor and gentlemen connected with the Tramway Company. On their return from Salthill, where all were hospitably treated by the company, the Industrial School Band accompanied them dispersing some excellent music (as you can see from our first photograph): and, arrived at Galway, about 100 gentlemen sat down to an excellent dejeuner at Black’s Royal Hotel”.
THE PATRICIAN MUSICAL SOCIETY
by Tom Kenny
The first musical production by a Galway Musical Society in the 20th century was ‘The Messiah’ performed by the Galway Orchestral Society in 1902 and we know, they also performed in the Court Theatre in 1903. In 1907, the Technical Choral Society was formed under the baton of Clement Leaper, headmaster of the Technical School. In 1924, Miss Mai Fogarty produced ‘The Bohemian Girl’ and later ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ but after that there was no notable musical society until the 1950s.
In November 1951 a Patrician Brother, Cuthbert was asked to second a vote of thanks to Louis Evers who had just given a lecture on Verdi. In doing so he suggested a choral society should be formed in the city which would, in turn, foster all different types of musical activity. Local papers picked up on this and he was approached by the P.P.U. and asked to form a choir with boys from the Bish and the Mon to accompany various artistes in charity concerts. They were called the Patrician Brothers Boys Choir and they made a 78 record in the Astaire Ballroom (It would be great to hear this now). At the same time Charlie Donoghue, Sonny McLoughlin and Jimmy Walsh were, as Patrician Brothers Productions, putting on revues and pantomimes so Brother Cuthbert decided it was time for Galway to step into the musical world and as a result, the Patrician Choral Society was formed.
ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADES OF YESTERYEAR
by Tom Kenny
St. Patrick may never have made it to Galway, I could not find any legend that associates him with the city, except maybe for those anyone who went to Athenry to get their arse painted green. The anniversary of the saint’s death has been celebrated for many generations and the central focus of the day was usually the parade.
In 1912, many sections of society took part in the procession and they were divided into eight sections: 1. Language and Civic Authorities including the Gaelic League; 2. Temperance and Benefit Societies; 3. College and Secondary Schools; 4. Trades, Labour and commerce groups; 5. The Gaelic Athletic Association; 6. Political groups including AOH and Sinn Féin; 7. Schools, including the Industrial School; 8. Local Industries. The route took participants from Eyre Square down Shop Street, Dominick Street, Henry Street, Newcastle Road, University Road, the Salmon Weir Bridge to the Courthouse/Town Hall, where it finished.
THE ROYAL GALWAY YACHT CLUB
by Tom Kenny
Our first illustration today is a drawing by M.J. Tighe, architect, Galway, of the proposed new clubhouse for the Royal Galway Yacht Club at the corner of the Gaol River and the Eglinton Canal. The club was founded and received Royal Warrant in 1882. It was established as a social combination to promote sailing and rowing on the bay and lake, and the enjoyment of all the amenities of the Corrib Lake and River. They managed to survive and carry on for some years in difficult circumstances.
The club premises was in a good position occupying about three roods. It had a long term lease expiring in 2002 at an annual rent of £10. It had recently been enhanced by the provision of a hard court for lawn tennis.
THE GALWAY WORKHOUSE
by Tom Kenny
The first formal meeting of the Board of Guardians of the Galway workhouse took place in the Town Hall on July 3rd, 1839, and the building opened on March 2nd, 1842, one of many such workhouses built around the country. On March 16th, the first pauper died from old age and destitution. The numbers of inmates gradually increased to 313 by May 1845, after which the Famine made a huge impact on the project. It was originally designed for 800 destitute persons but this quickly increased to 1,000. Included in the complex was an infirmary for sick paupers but this rapidly became the hospital for the city’s poor.
At the roadside was a large cut-stone entrance lodge which comprised of a boardroom, clerk’s office, porter’s room, waiting area and probationary wards for paupers, males on one side, females on the other. Our photograph of this lodge was taken from the road by Fr. James Mitchell in 1956, just before the building was demolished.