‘The West’ 100 Years (02 10 2014)
“On April 8th, 1911, a sworn enquiry was held by Mr. J.F. MCabe, Local Government Board Inspector, into the application of the Urban Council for a loan of £6,520 for the erection of 40 artisan or working class houses in Henry Street and Kelly’s Lane. A plot of land of two acres in Kelly’s Lane and Henry Street was to be sold by a Mr. Seddle to the Council for £475 upon which the houses would be built at an estimated cost of £140 each. The Houses were to be two-storey cottages, with a kitchen and bedroom at the back, and two bedrooms overhead, porch and shelter to back door, a w.c., a small yard and water supply through a 3” main in the back yard. The yard was to be 14 feet in depth and the width of the house”.
This Connacht Tribune report also informed that the Town Engineer, Mr. Billy Binns and the Council medical doctor noted the dreadful condition of the houses in the area at the time, many had collapsed and the place was almost a ruin. Mr. McCabe’s enquiry resulted in the loan being sanctioned to the Council. Tenders were sought and the successful applicant was Herbert McNally who proposed to build the 40 cottages at a total cost of £5,910. It was proposed that the new street at Kelly’s Lane be renamed St. Joseph’s Avenue and that the new houses to the rear of Henry Street be called St. John’s Terrace. The rents were fixed at 3/3 per week for Henry Street and 2/9 for the remainder. The rent collector selected the tenants giving priority to those with large families.
The Council took over the new houses in July 1914 when they were satisfied that all conditions on the contract were complete. The tenants moved into their new homes, the number of which had by now been expanded from the original 40 to 75, the last remaining six houses being named St. John’s Place. The residents settled in and quickly developed a sense of community. Most of the girls went to school in ‘The Pres’ or Claddagh N.S and the boys went to ‘The Mon’ or Claddagh N.S. Many went on to attend Greally’ Commercial College or the Technical School. The kids played their games of Cad, marbles, Hop-step-and-jump and skipping on the streets as there was very little traffic. Our delightful photograph, courtesy of Christy Hession, captures the traffic-free environment in which the kids grew up.
The gable walls of St. John’s Terrace houses made very good handball alleys for the bigger lads. Initials were written in chalk on the walls to books a place, and if one kept winning, one kept playing. These streets were always beautifully decorated for the Corpus Christi procession. Some residents began to trade from their homes, Patrick Hosty, a cobbler worked from No. 12, St. John’s Terrace, The O’Connor family had a grocery in no.23 and the Griffins ran another shop at no.1.
In 1970, a Resident’s Association was formed and some years later the Corporation offered the houses for sale to the occupants at £300 each. The estate gradually changed from a municipally rented scheme to a privately owned estate, and people began to improve their surroundings and their holdings. A trianagular section of land between Henry Street and the east side of St. John’s Terrace which had become a dumping ground, was converted into a playground by the locals. Galway Corporation opened their first children’s playground on a vacant site known as “The Shanners” beside the canal in the late 1960’s.
In 2006, local resident Jane Talbot undertook a superb photographic study of the street’s inhabitants showing the occupants of each house standing proudly at their doorstep. This remarkable social history collection was exhibited at the Arts Centre.
The enthusiasm and sense of community of the original residents of the estate is still very evident today as was seen in their recent centenary celebrations. All of the above is taken from a delightful book entitled “History of ‘The West’ Housing Estate, 1914-2014” which was compiled by Peadar O’Dowd especially for the occasion. It lists the early families, their pastimes, their sports etc and is well illustrated. Only 5 euro from good bookshops.
