A sense of peace at Waterside

Thu, Nov 12, 2026

In ancient times, Galway was known as Streamstown because the waters of the Corrib divided into a myriad of small rivers and streams as they entered the city. Then, almost 200 years ago, the remarkable engineer, Alexander Nimmo, made a survey of the river and lake. He would have a transformative effect on the city when, in 1848, the first drainage scheme started, which resulted in the waterway system we have today.

Father Griffin Road

Thu, Nov 05, 2026

Father Griffin Road is a relatively new road. It was built in the early 1930s. Fr Griffin was a young priest who was abducted, tortured and killed by the Black and Tans during the War of Independence and he was an obvious choice when it came to naming the road.

The Small Crane

Thu, Oct 29, 2026

We have three photographs today of the Small Crane (where was the Big Crane?), all taken about 1890 with the potato market in full swing. The market was held here regularly and was an occasion where the town met the country. Farmers from as far away as Inverin would bring their potatoes into town to sell to shopkeepers and to individual customers. The scale, which you can see in the background, was used to weigh large sacks. In some of the images, you can see potatoes stacked loosely beside the creels. The scale was kept steady by large rocks. Some of the farmers are resting on sacks of potatoes while waiting for customers.

Brennan’s of Shop Street

Thu, Oct 22, 2026

Martin Brennan came from Kildysart in County Clare and was apprenticed in a drapery shop, probably in Ennis, in 1861. In 1881/82, he moved to Galway and set up business on Shop Street. Twenty years later, he had a fire in his premises and had to organise a major Salvage Sale in which to sell off all goods left after the recent fire, some partly burned and a large portion damaged by water. He obviously recovered and made a success of the business as you can see from this advertisement c1910, his premises had taken up a good portion of the street. He brought his nephew Martin into the business in 1906.

Remembering Kevin O’Byrne

Thu, Oct 15, 2026

Kevin Francis O’Byrne was born in Galway on December 2, 1934, the second son of Seán and Mary O’Byrne. He had an older brother, Brendan and a younger sister, Máire. He received his education at St Patrick’s National School and St Joseph’s College (The Bish). He was a very good student and a brilliant all-round sportsman. He featured strongly in the Patrician Brothers’ Hurling Leagues and in the school’s athletics events. Rugby was his favourite game; he played scrum half for his school, for his various clubs and twice for Connacht, both times against Ulster. He was also a fine soccer player, and with Johnny Dooley starred in the match when UCG won their first ever Collingwood Cup by beating UCD by three goals to two in the final, which was played at the Grammar School grounds in 1955.

Galway buses

Thu, Oct 08, 2026

In the early days, the only form of public transport in Galway was provided by the Bianconi company, and it connected the city to outlying towns and villages. Some local entrepreneurs probably ran a hackney service, but the main mobile traffic on the road would have been privately owned horse-drawn carts of various types.

Our Lady of Gyor

Thu, Oct 01, 2026

On St Patrick’s Day 1697, Mass was being celebrated at 6am in the Cathedral of Gyor in Hungary. Many were present and observed a bloody sweat to come over the figure of Our Lady in a painting which was known as “Our Lady of Consolation” or “The Irish Madonna”.

Cinema heritage

Thu, Sep 24, 2026

On Monday, February 28, 1898, there was an exhibition in Mr Mack’s Assembly Rooms of a new device called the Cinematograph, which could show ‘living pictures’ or ‘moving pictures’ — movies as we would know them today,

Yeats’s return

Thu, Sep 17, 2026

William Butler Yeats died in the Hotel Idéal Beauséjoue in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in France on the January 28, 1939 aged 73. His wife Georgie and himself had often discussed his death, and he told her, “If I die, bury me up there at Roquebrune and in a year’s time when the newspapers have forgotten me, dig me up and plant me in Sligo.” His funeral was a discreet and private affair. His body was later exhumed and removed to the ossuary. Because of the outbreak of the war, it was not possible to bring his coffin back to Ireland for several years.

As others saw us

Thu, Sep 10, 2026

Last week we showed you some very well researched watercolours of Galway painted in the late 1830s by William Evans of Eton. He had made many careful studies of the types and colours of the clothing worn by native Galwegians, especially the women; of the different types of baskets they wove; the traditional everyday tools and equipment they used such as sleáns, milk churns, cooking pots and spinning wheels; the types of traditional boats they sailed.

William Evans’ watercolour studies of Galway

Thu, Sep 03, 2026

William Evans of Eton (1798-1877) was the drawing master of Eton College in England and an accomplished artist who exhibited widely in London, Dublin, and Paris. He made several visits to the west of Ireland in 1835 and 1838, where he produced many studies and finished watercolours, mostly of Counties Galway and Mayo, a mixture of picturesque landscapes, market and street scenes, and what might be called peasant structures and peasant portraits.

De Burgo’s mansion

Thu, Aug 27, 2026

This wonderful photograph, dated c1865, shows a carved stone doorway in Market Street, an interesting example of Renaissance work, almost certainly earlier than the Browne Doorway.

Student-led Galway hackathon puts Ireland’s next generation of innovators to work on real city challenges

Thu, Aug 27, 2026

Young people from across Ireland came together at PorterShed in Galway for FutureHack, a student-led hackathon challenging 13 to 19-year-olds to develop practical ideas for making Galway a better place to live.

Student Union appeals for accommodation ahead of new college term

Thu, Aug 27, 2026

As 20,000 University of Galway students return to college on September 7, the Students’ Union is appealing to the public for help finding students accommodation.

Galway Hospice calls on communities to host a coffee morning this September

Thu, Aug 27, 2026

Galway Hospice is calling on people across Galway to put the kettle on this September and host their own Coffee Morning in support of local hospice care.

Galway Courthouse

Thu, Aug 20, 2026

“This fine building, which is superior to most Provincial seats of justice in Ireland, stands at Newtownsmith on the site of the ancient and venerable abbey of the Franciscans, which by the Charter of Charles II ‘is to be and remains part of the County of Galway forever’. It was commenced in 1812 and on the 1st of April 1815, was opened for the reception of the then going justice of assize……

Forty years of Macnas

Thu, Aug 13, 2026

Macnas, noun: The frolic-like behaviour of a young calf let out to grass for the first time after being kept in all winter; joyous abandonment; dalliance, wantonness.

The Streets Of Galway road race

Thu, Aug 06, 2026

The inspiration for this race, which was run for the first time on August 15 1986, came from that great sports man Jack Mahon who had attended a number of such races in different parts of the country. It was run under the auspices of Clare River Harriers with a B.L.E. licence. It was a race designed for all the family with a central theme of “Sport for All” and was described as a ‘fun run’; there were no elite prizes but local businesses sponsored right down the field. There was a big display of the medallions for all the category winners in the window of The Great Outdoors.

The Sword and Mace

Thu, Jul 30, 2026

The Galway civic sword and mace are among the finest specimens of municipal corporation insignia in Ireland; the sword in particular is noteworthy and can be compared with the best of civic swords in these islands.

The National Bank

Thu, Jul 23, 2026

The Galway Vindicator of October 3, 1866, contained the following report … “For some four or five years now, The National Bank has had in its possession a plot of ground on the east side of Eyre Square directly opposite Forster Street and adjacent to the Provincial Bank, which was purchased from the proprietor Mr Levingston for £600, for the purpose of erecting thereon a new building, the present bank being in St Augustine Street which was considered too backward for the improving business of the concern in Galway.

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