This photograph of the turf market at the Claddagh was taken in the 1920's. This market took place around the weighing scales opposite where the fire station is today. These turf carts would have come from as far away as Spiddal, and many would also have carried large cans of milk, and some, as you can see, also brought in bales of straw in sacks. Notice the new electricity poles. The shadows indicate that the photograph was taken in the afternoon.

The three-storey building we see on the left belonged to Martin Hanley, later to a Mr. Glennon, and later still to George Gay. There was a little garden and wall in front of it. To the left of that (out of picture) was a dark shed which was Ned Finneran's Forge. Ned was a farrier who went blind in his old age. He had a nephew named Tom Madden who worked with him. This shed was eventually knocked down, and rebuilt as Michael Murphy's butcher shop. To the left of that again was Kate Ryan's house.

The building we see with the dark lean-to was Beatty's Forge. Beatty's business was quite different from Finneran's, in that they made anchors and such heavy implements, and they were famous fro the near perfection of their oyster dredges.

Next to Beattys, you can just make out the gable end of Cahill's Pub on Raven Terrace. This later became Keane's Pub, and later again Haverty's. Next door, on Raven Terrace (Why is it called that?), was Johnny Connolly's pub, which is Maguires today. Beside that was Hanny Gannon's little sweet shop, and at the end was Coyne's pub. At the back of the buildings in this photograph, on Lower Fairhill, there was a three-storey building belonging to Andersons, and some stables belonging to Mike Coyne.

There was a small tidal stream roughly behind where our photographer stood. It came from the Quay Stream when there was a very high tide. It flowed from right to left, as we look at the picture, along Grogan's Lane (now Fr. Griffin Road), and eventually disappeared in waste ground known as "The Boggers", roughly where Whitestrand is today.

Our piece here a few weeks ago about The Rosebowl Hurling trophy excited a great deal of interest. The trophy has been kept safely in the Bish. They apparently were the last team to win it several years ago. We hope that the inter-schools competition can be revived, and if not, then perhaps the West Board might take it over for an under-16 inter-club trophy.