by Tom Kenny
For much of the 19th century, the Persse family ran one of the most successful distilleries in Ireland. Their product became world famous. They were major contributors to the industrial life of Galway and provided much needed employment. In addition to their staff, they were also supplied by a number of artisans working in the Nuns Island area — coopers, cork manufacturers, printers, carters, case makers, etc.
by Tom Kenny
Diarmuid Crowley, a native of Co Cork, was arrested, charged with being a judge in the Sinn Féin courts, and incarcerated in Galway Jail even though he was ill. His condition worsened and he demanded the attendance of a private medical doctor. The prison doctor refused, so 40 Sinn Féin prisoners decided to do something to prevent Mr Crowley suffering any further.
The jail building was horseshoe in shape. On November 24, 1921, they piled up bedding and clothing and other articles in an apartment of the ground floor of the southern wing and set them ablaze. They broke into the paint shop, scattered oils and paints, and set them on fire. They seized six prison warders and marched them to the northern wing using no violence against them. They were kept on the corridor on the second floor. The prisoners broke into the punishment cell on this wing and eight bales of fibre there were set ablaze.
by Tom Kenny
The Connacht Mineral Water Company was incorporated 80 years ago tomorrow, on July 6th, 1938. The first board meeting was held on July 18th and the following were appointed as directors John Keane, chairman; John E. Cotter, vice-chairman; Paul O’Dea, secretary and managing director. They manufactured mineral waters, were beer and ale wholesalers, and in the early days sold groceries as well. Their head office was at the top of High St., where overhead a Mrs. Madden had a dressmaking business. Behind the office was an area where staff member Michael Joe Walsh bottled whiskey and rum, and behind that again was a space which extended to Middle St. where they bottled the mineral waters. They used the water from a well in Oranmore which was ideal for blending the whiskey. On the other side of Middle St. they occupied a building known as Corbett’s Yard where Darby Kelleher stored and repaired cases etc. and where they stored the ciders, Babychams and Carlsberg.
by Tom Kenny
When President Michael D Higgins, officially opened the new Our Lady’s Boys’ Club clubhouse in 2015, he said: “Like so many successful community initiatives, OLBC was founded and built on vision, a spirit of participation and a will to make a genuine and positive difference to the community. When Fr Leonard Shiel SJ established a club in 1940, I doubt that he realised just how enduring his vision would be. Today, OLBC is the longest running youth club in the country and has woven its way into the fabric of community life in Galway, welcoming members from many neighbourhoods including Shantalla, Westside, Ballinfoyle, Rahoon, Corrib Park, and Newcastle.
by Tom Kenny
In 1924, three Sisters of Jesus and Mary came to UCG to study for a degree, the first religious of any congregation to do so. While they were pursuing their studies, Mother Stanislaus looked for a suitable premises for a house of studies and finally purchased “Spires House” in Shantalla on June 26, 1925. The house apparently got its name from the two unusual spires you can see on the roof. It was used by the sisters as a hostel for secular students as well as their own nuns. These nuns were known to many people as ‘The Spires Nuns’.
by Tom Kenny
This pub, which is situated on the corner of William Street West and the Small Crane, was originally known as the West End Bar. In the 1930s it was owned by Paddy and Angela (known as Alda) Smith who lived over the pub. They also owned the garage behind the pub, which Paddy managed. This was where Bell, Book and Candle bookshop is today. Mrs Smith was from Loughrea and when she and her husband retired, they sold the business to her brother Mickey Coen. He ran it until 1970 when Padraig Cummins took it over. Padraig had a business in Menlo making concrete slabs.
by Tom Kenny
On April 1st, 1954, 941 boys marched from the Bish National School, Nun’s Island and from the Old Mon in Market St. to their ultra-modern bright new school St. Patrick’s, which was situated at the corner of Lombard St. and Bridge St. The new school was built on a site which had been the location of the Shambles Barracks which was occupied by the British Army for many years up until 1909. It was then bought by Fr. Dooley, the parish priest of St. Patrick’s for £1,200. It functioned as a tenement for a number of years and eventually became derelict. For a while some locals used to play a form of pitch and putt in the grounds. Bishop Michael Browne considered the site as a location for his proposed cathedral. Construction work on the new school commenced in 1952 and on March 31st, 1954, the Minister for Education, Seán Moylan officially opened it. The following day, the pupils arrived.
by Tom Kenny
It is interesting to meet someone again after a long period of time, especially someone with whom you spent five days a week for about six years, but that is what school reunions are all about. People will have inevitably aged and may have gained bellies, more wrinkles, their hair greyer than before or maybe have no hair at all, so there is often a little tension mixed with the expectation of meeting them again. But the end result is generally delight at reviving old friendships, at the renewed camaraderie, at all the nostalgia, the memories of sporting occasions, the sharing of photographs and, of course, the stories about particular teachers. Indeed, some who were slogged or mistreated by teachers may use the reunion as a kind of revenge. Inevitably, some stories will have taken on legs --- “The older we got, the better we were”. The reunion is also an occasion to remember colleagues who have died in the interim.
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