Today's illustration is from a painting in the Ulster Museum entitled "Cottage Interior, Claddagh, Galway". It was painted in 1845 by Francis William Topham, a landscape and architectural engraver who started his career in Leeds. He went to London and became a book engraver, producing illustrations for various books. He engraved portraits, but latterly turned to painting, being elected a member of the old watercolours society in 1848. This small pencil and watercolour sketch shows the artists interest in genre scenes, a depiction of a very poor cabin interior with a young mother holding her child.

This picture was painted at the beginning of the Famine, and reminds us that many of our ancestors lived in great poverty.

It is one of the illustrations in a new yearbook just published entitled "People and Places" published by the Appletree Press. It is an ideal appointments book for the New Year, illustrated with beautiful paintings from the Ulster Museum. Available in all good bookshops while stocks last at EUR19.95 (To order your copy from Kennys Bookshop e-mail your details to queries@kennys.ie)

We had a terrific entry for our Christmas Crossword. As usual there are people out there who doubt both Dick Byrne's and my parentage, but it was all in good fun, and thank you all for participating.

The first correct entry out of the hat was from: Martin Quinn, 134 Dangan Heights, Dangan Upper. Congratulations, and we hope you enjoy your prize which was very generously sponsored by the Ryan Family, the Ardilaun Hotel. The correct answers were:

Across: 1)Eglinton Canal 5)Derek Biddulph 10)Dev 11)Elmos 13)NUIG 14)Quills 15)Fort 16)Seum 17)Ships Chandlers 22)Peter 24)Canon 25)True 26)Alley 28)Western 29)Light 32)Eyre 34)Greene 35)Grand Hotel 38)Railway 40)Liston 41)Maggie 43) Royal Tara China 45)Bridge 47)Naughtons 51)Saint 53)Lynch 55)Company 56)Echo 58)ASTI 59)Tyler 61)Cemetery 62)Salmon 63)Dominick 64)Ashe 66)Elwood 67)Anne 69)Newells 72)Ensure 73)Ashtown 74)Weir 76)Trams 78)House 79)Street 82)Horsedrawn 84)Theatre 85)Station 87)Una 88)O'Sullivan 89)Wee 90)Lenaboy Castle 91)Son

Down: 1)Emmets Rowing Club 2)Limerick Streamship Company 3)Nimmos 4)Cannon 5)Davis 6)Racquet 7)Ball 8)Patrician 9)Tom Kenny 14)Great 15)Fire 19)And 20) Druid 21)Southern 22)Post 23)Tower 27)Lane 30)Galway 31)Hero 35)Pier 36)Hinde 37)Tom 39)Brothers 42)GAA 44)Hill 46)Gamut 48)Guns 49)The Iodine 50)Shop 51)Salthill Stores 52)Larry Hynes 54)Hardiman House 57)Fallons 60)Lord 65)Court 68)Kerry 70)Epoch 71)Woodlawn 77)Middle 80)Ergo 81)Poor 83)Nuns 86)Toe

The answers to the photo questions were: 1a)Eyre Street 1b)Cyril Mahoney 2a)Mechanics Institute 2b)Mechanics Institute 3a)Augustine Street 3b)St. Clares Walk 4a)Bridge Street 4b)Ford 5a)Browne Doorway 5b)Staging In Eyre Square 6a)Galway John Ward 6b)High Street 7a)An Pucan 7b)Red Square Hotel 8a)William Street 8b)Matt O'Flahertys

The Old Galway Society is holding its first talk of 2003. "George Moore and Edward Martyn" by Adrain Frayier of NUIG on 9th January 2003 at 8:30pm in the Mercy Secondary School, Newtownsymth, Galway. All are welcome.