Old Galway
THE GALWAY/SALTHILL TRAMWAY
by Tom Kenny
The Galway and Salthill Tramway Company was inaugurated in 1877. The Town Commissioners gave the project every encouragement and extended the time limit in which the tracks had to be laid. The single tramline was two and a quarter miles long with 8 passing loops, roughly 250 yards apart. The rails were heavy steel, the gauge was three feet wide and the trams were horse-drawn, there was no electricity in Galway for another twelve years or so. The cost of construction was £13,000. The depot was in Forster Street and the western terminus was opposite the Eglinton Hotel.
The Irish Times of October 2nd, 1879, reported that General Hutchinson, Government Inspector of Railways and Tramways, expressed himself highly pleased with the mode of construction and the manner in which the work had been carried out. “Yesterday, at two o’clock, the gentry of the town and the surrounding locality were invited to seats in the tramway cars on their maiden trips to Salthill, and the greatest enthusiasm was evinced on the part of the public, who assembled in thousands along the streets, and wished, in their own native simplicity a very long life and prosperity to the contractor and gentlemen connected with the Tramway Company. On their return from Salthill, where all were hospitably treated by the company, the Industrial School Band accompanied them dispersing some excellent music (as you can see from our first photograph): and, arrived at Galway, about 100 gentlemen sat down to an excellent dejeuner at Black’s Royal Hotel”.
THE PATRICIAN MUSICAL SOCIETY
by Tom Kenny
The first musical production by a Galway Musical Society in the 20th century was ‘The Messiah’ performed by the Galway Orchestral Society in 1902 and we know, they also performed in the Court Theatre in 1903. In 1907, the Technical Choral Society was formed under the baton of Clement Leaper, headmaster of the Technical School. In 1924, Miss Mai Fogarty produced ‘The Bohemian Girl’ and later ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ but after that there was no notable musical society until the 1950s.
In November 1951 a Patrician Brother, Cuthbert was asked to second a vote of thanks to Louis Evers who had just given a lecture on Verdi. In doing so he suggested a choral society should be formed in the city which would, in turn, foster all different types of musical activity. Local papers picked up on this and he was approached by the P.P.U. and asked to form a choir with boys from the Bish and the Mon to accompany various artistes in charity concerts. They were called the Patrician Brothers Boys Choir and they made a 78 record in the Astaire Ballroom (It would be great to hear this now). At the same time Charlie Donoghue, Sonny McLoughlin and Jimmy Walsh were, as Patrician Brothers Productions, putting on revues and pantomimes so Brother Cuthbert decided it was time for Galway to step into the musical world and as a result, the Patrician Choral Society was formed.
ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADES OF YESTERYEAR
by Tom Kenny
St. Patrick may never have made it to Galway, I could not find any legend that associates him with the city, except maybe for those anyone who went to Athenry to get their arse painted green. The anniversary of the saint’s death has been celebrated for many generations and the central focus of the day was usually the parade.
In 1912, many sections of society took part in the procession and they were divided into eight sections: 1. Language and Civic Authorities including the Gaelic League; 2. Temperance and Benefit Societies; 3. College and Secondary Schools; 4. Trades, Labour and commerce groups; 5. The Gaelic Athletic Association; 6. Political groups including AOH and Sinn Féin; 7. Schools, including the Industrial School; 8. Local Industries. The route took participants from Eyre Square down Shop Street, Dominick Street, Henry Street, Newcastle Road, University Road, the Salmon Weir Bridge to the Courthouse/Town Hall, where it finished.
THE ROYAL GALWAY YACHT CLUB
by Tom Kenny
Our first illustration today is a drawing by M.J. Tighe, architect, Galway, of the proposed new clubhouse for the Royal Galway Yacht Club at the corner of the Gaol River and the Eglinton Canal. The club was founded and received Royal Warrant in 1882. It was established as a social combination to promote sailing and rowing on the bay and lake, and the enjoyment of all the amenities of the Corrib Lake and River. They managed to survive and carry on for some years in difficult circumstances.
The club premises was in a good position occupying about three roods. It had a long term lease expiring in 2002 at an annual rent of £10. It had recently been enhanced by the provision of a hard court for lawn tennis.
THE GALWAY WORKHOUSE
by Tom Kenny
The first formal meeting of the Board of Guardians of the Galway workhouse took place in the Town Hall on July 3rd, 1839, and the building opened on March 2nd, 1842, one of many such workhouses built around the country. On March 16th, the first pauper died from old age and destitution. The numbers of inmates gradually increased to 313 by May 1845, after which the Famine made a huge impact on the project. It was originally designed for 800 destitute persons but this quickly increased to 1,000. Included in the complex was an infirmary for sick paupers but this rapidly became the hospital for the city’s poor.
At the roadside was a large cut-stone entrance lodge which comprised of a boardroom, clerk’s office, porter’s room, waiting area and probationary wards for paupers, males on one side, females on the other. Our photograph of this lodge was taken from the road by Fr. James Mitchell in 1956, just before the building was demolished.
THE GALWAY ISOLATION HOSPITAL
by Tom Kenny
The possible introduction of cholera and smallpox from abroad concerned the Government and so the Cholera Act of 1893 empowered sanitary authorities to enter lands for the construction of isolation hospitals
The Galway Port sanitary Authority was set up to manage Public Health matters in Galway Port, most especially to prevent infectious diseases that might be brought ashore from ships entering the port. The board consisted of 17 members elected from component local authorities and their jurisdiction extended from Golam Head in County Galway to Hag’s Head in County Clare together with the waters of Galway Bay.
In 1895, the board constructed a temporary building at Renmore Point on land owned by the Governors of Erasmus Smith Schools but leased to a Major John Wilson. In 1906, they wished to construct a permanent hospital there and a more formal lease was negotiated for 2 acres on the point just opposite the docks, with appropriate rights of way across the land. The lease was for 40 years at a nominal rental of £1 per annum.
Kirwan’s Lane, a bird’s eye view
by Tom Kenny
This lane is one of the most attractive in Galway and one of the most historic. There were originally 14 lanes in medieval Galway and this is one of the few that still exist. It dates back to the 16th century. As our photograph shows, it must have been very impressive back then.
It is considered by historians and archaeologists to be one of the richest areas “in terms of its medieval layout, building design and street plan”. It evidently received its name from the Kirwan family, one of just two of the ‘tribes’ who were of Gaelic origin. They were successful merchants and landowners who moved into the city around 1490, and whose wealth helped Galway reach the peak of its splendour during the 16th and 17th centuries.
GEORGE CHAMBERS’ PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE
by Tom Kenny
George Chambers was born in England in 1873. He lived at Temple Fortune Lane in Middlesex. He travelled extensively and this included several trips to Ireland. In 1929, he toured parts of West Cork and Wicklow, in 1931, he visited Galway City and the Aran Islands and on subsequent trips he went to the Blasket Islands, to Achill and Clare Islands and to various other islands off the coast of Donegal.
Happily, he brought his camera with him and left a visual record of these tours. Sadly, only two of his images of Galway City survive and one of those photographs we have for you today. It is titled ‘Penelope and Katrina’ and shows two ladies, obviously known to the photographer, walking across Dominick Street Bridge with their bicycles. The second city image is just of George standing with his back to the railings of the bridge with the Eglinton Canal behind him.