Santa Claus comes to Galway

Thu, Dec 22, 2022

St Nicholas of Myra is the patron saint of archers, sailors, merchants, repentant thieves, brewers, pawnbrokers, unmarried people, students, and children. He is also the patron saint of Galway, and our oldest church, St Nicholas' Collegiate, is named after him. He was a legendary giver of gifts, particularly to the poor. He would hand coins in through windows or open doors, and if they were closed, sometimes he would put them down the chimney. This was the origin of the tradition of Santa coming down the chimney bearing gifts. The tradition was good for business for chimney sweeps, it would be difficult to explain soot marks on the floor on Christmas morning.

John Keady, a tribute

Thu, Dec 15, 2022

Now that we are reaching the end of saturation coverage of the World Cup and watching some of the best soccer players in the world, you might wonder where it all began for some of them, how they got themselves on to the world stage, and how much they owe to the unsung people without whom they would never have succeeded, the referees whose dedication to the game make all of those matches possible.

Rats ate the nuns’ Christmas dinner Week IV

Wed, Dec 14, 2022

In the hopelessly disorganised Allied army which fought Russia in the Crimean War 1853 - 1856, 15 Sisters of Mercy from Ireland played an heroic role in establishing revolutionary nursing practices in the chaos of the terrible hospitals of the day. They undoubtedly saved hundreds of lives, and brought comfort to the young injured and dying men, and laid out principals for modern nursing which were widely regarded as the standard for decades to come.

There was only going to be one ‘Lady of the Lamp’ in Crimea

Thu, Dec 08, 2022

Week III
The Crimean War was a chaotic affair involving Russia, the Ottoman Empire, France and England, over an area disputed for centuries. It lasted from October 1853 until March 1856, costing some 600,000 lives. Initially, like all wars, it was believed that Russia’s land grab in the eastern Mediterranean, would be quickly stopped; but as the months dragged on the armies on both sides were not prepared for the harsh, winter weather, and the length of the conflict. A number of fierce battles were fought including the infamous ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’, and at Sebastopol, Alma and elsewhere causing thousands of casualties for which the military hospitals of the time were hopelessly inefficient, and unable to cope.

The Galway starvation riots

Thu, Dec 01, 2022

Our illustration today was published in the Illustrated London News on June 25, 1842, and was intended to “Convey an idea of the desperation to which the poor people of Galway have been reduced by the present calamitous season of starvation. The scene represented above is an attack upon a potato store in the town of Galway, on the 13th of the present month, when the distress had become too great for the poor squalid and unpitied inhabitants to endure their misery any longer, without some more substantial alleviation than prospects of coming harvest; and their resource in this case was to break open the potato stores and distribute their contents, without much discrimination, among the plunderers, and to attack the mills where oatmeal was known to be stored.

Galwegians RFC, one hundred years

Thu, Nov 24, 2022

It is fairly certain that rugby football was being played in Galway before the formation of the IRFU, but the lack of surviving minutes of meetings or records makes it difficult to pinpoint the actual beginnings of some clubs. We know that in 1886 there were four clubs in existence, Queen’s College (now UG), The Grammar School, Galway Town, and Old Galwegians. These latter two clubs amalgamated in the 1909/10 season and called themselves Galway Town. They were a successful club. World War I and its aftermath ruled out competitive rugby but in the resumption, in 1921/22 they again won the senior cup and then, for some reason, decided to change the name again, this time to Galwegians RFC.

The Salmon Weir Bridge

Thu, Nov 17, 2022

The foundation stone for this bridge was laid on June 29, 1818, by William Le Poer Trench and the structure was completed the following year. The original purpose was to connect the new County Courthouse with the County Gaol on Nuns' Island. It is a fine gently humped five-span bridge which was originally known as ‘The New Bridge’ or ‘Gaol Bridge’.

The Galway shawl

Thu, Nov 10, 2022

The Galway shawl was a specific type of heavyweight shawl worn by women during the cold season. It was very popular during the 19th century and was still being worn by a few older, more traditional, women up until the 1950s. It was worn by women all over Ireland, but for some reason was known as the Galway shawl. It was a winter-weight outer garment and was worn over a lightweight one.

Cloaks in old Galway

Thu, Nov 03, 2022

The Irish cloak was a standard 19th century garment worn by women all over the country. It is described as a sleeveless garment reaching to the ankles, open in front and fastened with a hook-and-eye or with ribbons. One width of material goes into the back and a half width into each side. On the shoulder, the material is tightly gauged, and attached to the back of the neck is a large hood which hangs down the back when not in use. The hood, which is lined with satin, silk, or sateen, is made of a rectangular piece of material drawn into pleats at the back. It was constantly used when the cloak was worn, even on hot days, when the hood could be drawn to shield the eyes of the wearer from the sun. The cloak formed very graceful drapery, fell well and folded well, was very elegant and usually large enough to envelop the whole person.

War of Friends, Liam Mellows and Pádraic Ó Máille

Wed, Oct 26, 2022

Today we are highlighting the careers of two men, both of whom were elected as TDs for Galway in 1918, both of whom fought on the same side in the Rising and the War of Independence and then, sadly, took different sides after the Treaty.

An historic air mail flight from Galway to Berlin

Thu, Oct 20, 2022

Ninety years ago, on October 22, 1932, a Fox Moth plane piloted by Captain Armstrong took off from Oranmore carrying mails and two passengers, Peggy Kenny and Kitty Curran, thus starting the first Irish-Continental European air mail delivery and the first passenger service. The mails were handed to the pilot by the postmaster Mr C Lynch. Bad weather at Athlone meant they had to fly blind a few hundred feet above ground for some time. This ‘feeder’ part of the overall journey was sponsored by Galway Harbour Board to the tune of £80. The flight took 55 minutes, it took the ladies four hours to get home on the train.

Salerno, sixty years of secondary education

Thu, Oct 13, 2022

In the late forties and early fifties, the population of Salthill began to grow dramatically with the building of lots of individual houses and estates such as Devon Park and Ard na Mara. There was a national school at Nile Lodge but it was full to capacity, so the bishop invited the Sisters of Jesus and Mary to open another one.

The Galway Woolen Mills

Thu, Oct 06, 2022

In 1895, the Galway Woolen Mills opened in Newtownsmith on land that was owned by Marcella Burke. The project was set up to provide employment, especially for young women, rather than to generate profits. Fr Dooley, the diocesan administrator, was the driving force behind the project and it was known locally as “Fr Dooley’s Mill’ long after he died in 1911. He took over three houses in order to build the mill. The hours were long and the pay was not great, 7/6 for women and 18 shillings for men.

The Corrib Hosiery Factory

Thu, Sep 29, 2022

This factory was situated in Newtownsmith in a tall building that later became part of the ESB complex. It was quite a big employer of the day in the city, employing mostly young girls and women.

Galway auctioneers

Thu, Sep 22, 2022

An auctioneer is described as an agent who accepts bids and sells goods at auction. The profession goes back thousands of years. In ancient Babylon, for instance, they used to hold auctions of women for marriage, indeed it was considered illegal to allow a daughter to be sold outside the auction process. In ancient Rome, they regularly held slave auctions. The idea of auctions as we know them today began in England in the late 17th century. They were referred to as English auctions where bids came in an ascending order.

Merlin Park Hospital

Thu, Sep 15, 2022

Tuberculosis is an infectious and very debilitating disease that affects the lungs. It was previously known as consumption because of weight loss suffered.

Horse trading in Eyre Square

Thu, Sep 08, 2022

One of the earliest associations of Eyre Square with the horse was the jousting competitions that went on there in the middle ages. There were also horse fairs held in the Square where one could buy and sell horses, these were usually held outside the railings and on the streets. Before motorised machinery was invented, the horse provided people with their main type of transport: the work horse was an invaluable part of the farm used to pull the plough or haul the farmer and his cartload of produce into town. Horse racing was always a popular sport and the first Galway Horse Show was held in the Square in 1892.

Hurling — game of legend and of legends

Thu, Sep 01, 2022

Hurling is one of the oldest field games in the world. Some stories portray it as a form of military training, proficiency on the field equated with skill in battle. Legend has it that the first battle of Moytura fought about 2000 B.C. between two rival tribes, was preceded by a fierce hurling match between two teams of 27 a-side drawn from opposing forces. The casualties were buried under a huge stone cairn – a megalithic tomb. The field where the game took place is still called The Field of the Hurlers. Ancient games were also played at Tara.

The happiest days of our lives

Thu, Aug 25, 2022

It may be a cliché but the old adage that the happiest days of our lives were the ones we spent at school would be true for most people. When we were in school, we probably thought that it was all lies, but later we gradually realised it was true. Life changes with time but memories of our school days remain the same all the time, days of laughter, smiles, great friendships, games in the school yard, no worries of bills, taxes or finances, desks with flip-tops and inkwells in the middle, heavy school bags, the glantóir, headline copies, the poems we learned, the sheer joy of the last day before the holidays, the imaginative excuses for being late … “The two wheels fell off me bicycle, sir”.

Tobar Éanna, St Enda’s Well, Barna Woods

Thu, Aug 18, 2022

In many cases, ancient folklore linked holy wells with a god, a goddess, a mythical creature, or a serpent; they were places of pagan worship which were at odds with Christianity. Ever since medieval times, efforts have been made to stop well-worshipping and to Christianise them. Many townlands have a water source that has been marked out for special devotion, most of them being allied to a particular saint. These are usually sanctuaries within the landscape, threshold sites that enable us to step back from the hullabaloo of daily existence and allow us to access something grander and otherworldly, something infinite and unknown.

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