Old Galway
Old Abbeygate Street
There is a real vintage feeling to this photograph of Abbeygate Street which dates from the 1970’s. The double yellow lines are about the only ‘modern’ thing about this image. The street has undergone many changes since.The house we see on the left was occupied by Mr. Kemple and his daughters.The house next door was occupied by the Heaney family and was described as “A large two-bay,three-storey house of cut limestone which dates from the early nineteenth century. The shopfront is simple though it has the letter H incised on the plaster brackets of the fascia.
Galway Textile Printers
Our photograph today, which is courtesy of Pat McPhilbin from Emmett Avenue in Mervue, shows a large factory building which was constructed by Sisks (with Jack Lillis in charge) on a site on Sandy Road in the early fifties. It was to house an industry called Galway Textile Printers which was known locally as ‘The Cotton Factory’, and even more colloquially as ‘The Cotton’. There already was a Hat Factory and a China Factory here, but GTP was the first major industry to come to Galway and quickly became one of the biggest employers in the west of Ireland. Some of those who worked there were specialists who were brought in to help set the factory up, but most employees were local.
Calling All Salerno Past Pupils
Bishop Browne invited the Sister of Jesus and Mary to open an National School in Salthill, and on May 1st 1952, Scoil Íde opened in what used to be a small hotel called Dalysfort House, with 43 pupils and 3 teachers. The numbers grew rapidly, so it was decided to knock the old hotel and build a new school. This was officially opened by the Minister for Education, Dr. Patrick Hillery in 1962.The population of Salthill was expanding rapidly, and the Sisters felt the need for a new girls secondary school, so that same year they started a ‘secondary top’,a first-year secondary school class which was housed in Scoil Íde. There were eight pupils in that class, Geraldine Kelleher,
Currach Racing in Salthill in the 1950s
In the early 1950’s a group of people got together to come up with ideas for extending the tourist season. They decided to focus on traditional Irish cultural events throughout the country, often with a local flavour and they called the project “An Tóstal”. A committee was set up in Galway and they came up with the concept of an All-Ireland Currach Racing Championships. Nothing like this had ever been done before, so it took quite a bit of organisation.It proved to be an inspired decision as these races became one of the top sporting attractions in the country.In 1953, the course was set up off the Claddagh, and every year after that, the races took place in Salthill.
The Royals in Galway, 1903
On the 30th of August, 1903, The Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII came to Galway. He was accompanied by his wife who would later be Queen Alexandra. They had sailed Into Killery Harbour aboard the royal yacht, and toured part of Conamara before boarding the Clifden train at Ballinahinch which brought them into Galway. Their visit to the city was full of pomp and ceremony.Galwegians had turned their city into a blaze of colour and decoration with Venetian poles all along the route supporting flags and banners and streamers. The decoration committee were assiduous in their duties, and Messrs Binns and Tighe and Murphy (who was the secretary)
The Men Who First Brought Sam to Galway
Galway reached the All-Ireland football final for the first time in 1919, when they were beaten by Kildare by 2 – 5 to 0 – 1. In 1922 they were beaten by Dublin by 6 points to 4. In 1925 they won it for the first time, beating Cavan by 3 – 2 to 1 - 2. In 1928, the Sam Maguire Trophy was presented to the GAA, and ever since, it has been the dream of every county in Ireland to hold it aloft in Croke Park on the third Sunday in September.In 1933 Cavan beat Galway in the final by 2 – 5 to 1 – 4, but in defeat the Galway team were hailed as a major force for the future, a prediction that turned out to be accurate as they beat Dublin the following year by 3 –
Corpus Christi Processions
My memory of these processions is that everyone assembled in the grounds of St. Mary’s College. Prayers were recited there, possibly a rosary, and then we walked, in organised groups, to Eyre Square. The route brought us along St. Mary’s Road, Henry Street, Dominick Street, over O’Brien’s Bridge, up Shop Street and around Eyre Square. We entered the park via a gate opposite The Great Southern and were shown to our places, and there the assembled multitude attended Benediction. A special stand was erected to accommodate the altar. Hymns were sung.
Thanks for the Memories
Seapoint Ballroom was officially opened at 10pm on July 17th, 1949 by Joe Costelloe, Mayor of Galway. Noel Finan bought the site from Jim and Mary Cremin who were brother and sister. They ran a famous seawater baths there, a kind of health spa of its day. At the time, Salthill was a small village with a few hotels, B&Bs and shops. It also had the Hangar which was run by John Allen, but it closed down in Race Week when dancing moved into a marquee in Eyre Square. At the time it was 1/6 into the Hangar for women and 1/9 for men.Noel Finan realised that young people coming to Salthill wanted something more than the salt air and to be clean. He sold the family pub