Old Galway
MONTPELIER TERRACE IN THE 1950’S
by Tom Kenny
According to An Foras Forbartha’s book on Galway Architectural Heritage, “Montpelier Terrace curves around the corner to the Crescent. The first two houses are of 3 bays and two storeys over basements with rendered walls and railings in front. They date from c.1840. Next are two houses without basements of two bays and three storeys with elliptical headed door-cases fronted by simple railings.
Celebrating Eilís Dillon
by Tom Kenny
Eilís Dillon was born on March 7, 1920, in Galway. Her parents were Professor Tom Dillon and Geraldine Plunkett, who was a sister of Joseph Mary Plunkett. They were very republican and were forced to move a number of times. They lived for a time in Daingean House and later in Barna for a few years. Eilís went to Barna National School where she became fluent at Irish, later to the Presentation, and later still to the Ursuline Convent in Sligo. She worked for a while in the hotel business.
THE WHITE BRIDGE
by Tom Kenny
This photograph of the Galway-Clifden Railway Bridge over the river was taken from the west side, looking towards Bohermore. It was built in 1894 and consisted of three spans of 150 feet with a 21 foot span in the centre. This centre one was a lifting one on the bascule principle to allow for navigation of boats and steamers from the sea and canal to the lake.
SIXTH CLASS, THE MERCY, 1948
by Tom Kenny
One hundred and eighty years ago, the Sisters of Mercy came to Galway for the first time, to a house in Lombard Street, to devote themselves to works of mercy among the poor. The great Catherine McAuley was one of the first three nuns to come here, the others being Mother M. Teresa White and Mother N. Catherine Leahy.
THE CINEMA SITE, SALTHILL
by Tom Kenny
Lenaboy is the name of one of the townlands of Salthill. It derives either from the Irish Léana Buí, the yellow fields/land or Léana Báite, the sunken or drowned land. The latter explanation is the most likely as we look at this photograph of “The Cinema Site” taken from the main road at Kingshill in Salthill. It was so-called locally because James Stewart & Co. tried to build a cinema there in the 1940’s. Unfortunately, because of the boggy nature of the ground, the pylons they were sinking in order to put in a foundation kept sinking and disappearing and so the project was abandoned. In the 1960’s, an enormous amount of filling was gradually put into the site and eventually, John King built a block of apartments there.
SOME GALWAY FOUNDRY STAFF
by Tom Kenny
At the beginning of the last century, Beatty Brothers had a foundry in Mill Street. In 1913, they advertised ‘a desire to announce that their factory was fitted with a first-rate plant for the manufacture of spades and shovels. Tons of them were sold last season’.
ASHBOURNE CUP WINNERS, 1968
by Tom Kenny
As part of the national enthusiasm for restoring a Gaelic Ireland at the beginning of the last century, experimental rules for a female stick-and-ball game were drawn up in 1903 and the first public match took place that year. The game of camogie was officially launched. The first All-Ireland final was played in the Sportsground when Dublin defeated Galway in 1933.
DÚN UÍ MHAOILÍOSA, A BRIEF HISTORY
by Tom Kenny
In 1852, the British War Department bought lands at Renmore with the idea of building a new military barracks to replace the existing ones in the city, the Shambles and the Castle Barracks. These two building complexes were getting old and deteriorating and needed to be superseded. In 1880, the new Barracks were built at Renmore. It was occupied by the Royal Irish Fusliers and later by the Connaught Rangers.