Ronnie O’Gorman was the most influential Galwegian of the past fifty years. In The Galway Advertiser he created and nurtured a unique forum for Galway creativity, enterprise and community. Under Ronnie’s benign yet focused stewardship an entirely new version of Galway developed as the universal image of the city – an innovative, cultured, tolerant and sparkling city, successful, slightly raffish, and fun.
When Ronnie founded the Advertiser in 1970 it was a new concept which gave a platform both for action and reflection, for thoughtful, erudite and engaging writing from such pithy masters of discourse as Jeff O’Connell and Dick Byrne. When Ollie Jennings and Garry Hynes took early steps to greatness Ronnie was there for them.
A theatre artist who had earned his chops at LAMDA before returning to Galway with his revolutionary publishing concept, Ronnie always found room for exciting, emerging voices. On RTÉ’s Sunday Miscellany recently Ollie Jennings recalled how his first concert promotion – The Chieftains at the new Leisureland, back in 1974 - was in box office peril until Ronnie gave it major coverage the Thursday before the gig - a full house! The following year Ronnie was the first journalist to interview Druid. The attention made a massive difference. Henceforth, for ingénue and established promoters the first law of staging an event in Galway was to ‘get it into the Advertiser’. Even in the contemporary world of social media it is still essential: Ronnie’s adventure in publishing, is by far the highest circulating local newspaper in Ireland.
Visionary
I first knew Ronnie in the early ‘80s when I joined the board of the Galway Arts Centre. Up the ancient stairs in Nun’s Island, in the recently gifted Presbyterian meeting house, the portraits of Victorian elders stared down in astonishment as the committee huddled over exciting plans for the arts in Galway. Ronnie’s chairmanship was quietly inspiring; he was calm, fair, thorough and comprehensive. With Ronnie in those early years were notably Sally Coyle, Joe McMahon, Avril Forrest and Keith Warnock; it was an exceptional committee: it was visionary - and it was fun. From those meetings amongst the cobwebs emerged the mighty family tree of the Galway Arts Centre, the roots of Cúirt, the Film Fleadh, Galway Youth Theatre, Baboró and Tulca, their artists and audiences.
As Galway developed a reputation for arts innovation, as a wonderful place for artists to set up, the Advertiser increased its coverage to match. The Arts Festival received special supplements, sensational Macnas performances on the Galway streets were captured in Mike Shaughnessy’s vivid photos. Ronnie’s curation of their narratives was as thorough and inspiring as the creative ideas pulsing through the city. ‘80s Ireland was grey but Galway was technicolour and Ronnie was printing it all.
In the ‘90s, when I moved into the Galway City and County Arts Office I met Ronnie again, at Corporation meetings in City Hall where armed with spiral notebook and pencil stub he sat in the press gallery. A newspaperman to the core, he followed the action closely. It was clear that he cared deeply about his city and county. He always wanted what was best for Galway. I realised that was his defining position –‘ was it good for Galway?’ Everything Ronnie achieved in his long life was of service to Galway, with Galway in mind.
I loved working with Ronnie. He was an assessor on several occasions for the County Council Arts Awards. I realised that he was as well informed in culture throughout the county as in the city. His judgments were crisp and clear. He was intrigued by his first visit behind the scenes in the new County Hall, in an eyrie high up behind architect Andrej Wejchert’s striking feature wall, reimagined from the grim old infirmary which became County Buildings.
Passion
Ronnie’s passion for the historical buildings of County Galway, their occupants and communities, became increasingly apparent as he delved ever more deeply into the great literary landscapes of South Galway, Coole Park and Thoor Ballylee. In time Ronnie would take over the leadership of the Autumn Gathering at Coole, the remarkable weekend of literature, drama and learning in honour of Lady Gregory and her circle, and eventually Thoor Ballylee would come into the narrative as he spearheaded a successful rescue mission for one of the world’s most resonant cultural buildings.
In 2000 Ronnie participated in an Arts Office cultural writing swap with Chicago, Galway’s Sister City. He visited Chicago to report and reflect on its Festival of Humanities and in return Galway Arts Festival received Tom O’Gorman, the windy city’s flamboyant social historian and diarist. They figured that they were related, sharing ancestry in Littleton, the Tipperary hill village from which Ronnie’s grandfather departed to set up as a printer and bookseller in Galway.
As ever Ronnie shone at the great American festival, sparkling in discourse with Merlin Holland, Oscar Wilde’s grandson. I was proud that Ronnie was there to represent us, to display his deep knowledge of Galway lives and literature. He thrillingly conveyed that passion over many years in his Galway Advertiser Diary, stylishly, compellingly, bringing Irish narratives to life for the general reader in significant service to heritage and history.
His commitment was recognised by an award from Galway City Council in 2013 honouring him as one of a quintet of outstanding Galway historians who had created ‘a rich narrative of all aspects of the history of Galway’. In 2022 the University of Galway conferred an honorary Doctor of Arts, recognising his achievement in history writing and the promotion and cultural development of Galway. Galway applauded and somewhere in the western heavens Lady Gregory and Oscar Wilde must have joined in celebration.
The arts flourished in Galway in the ‘90s and the Advertiser recorded, critiqued and previewed it all. Ronnie set up a glamorous arts magazine, Magpie which boosted the new voices further, just when they needed it most. Featuring sharp writing from a quiver of new pens it complemented the Advertiser’s coverage. Ronnie retired as editor in 2001 but happily the Advertiser continued its fine arts coverage with Kernan Andrews and Charlie McBride engaging deeply with creative Galway. Charlie’s precise and constructive reviews encouraged a gifted generation of local theatre makers, as Galway glittered. Happy days.
Free to deep dive
Free of the daily demands Ronnie had more time to deep dive into arts experiences. I remember his delight at a Tyrone Guthrie Centre fundraising event in Oranmore Castle, organised by Dolores Lyne and Leonie King. As international arts innovation met local history in the ancient, enduring tower, Ronnie’s eyes gleamed – this was Galway at its best, his beloved Galway where, with William Faulkner, he believed ‘The past is never dead. It’s not even past.’ He continued to serve: when Galway joined the national Culture Night programme he put the Advertiser at our service – for years a substantial Culture Night supplement was delivered to the Advertiser’s 50,000 recipients and many multiples of readership, detailing events from Barna to Ballybane, from ‘Bofin to the bridge at Banaher.
Fascinated by the world’s culture Ronnie was a mighty traveller, but he always found his way home. Home or abroad he was generous, personally and professionally, he was always positive, always wonderful company.
As the news filtered out into the city on Friday morning, the buskers were making fine music all along the sunny streets, from Quay Street to Shop Street, outside the beautiful old O’Gorman Building and on up towards Eyre Square and the Galway Advertiser offices.
Music for Galway’s Cellissimo festival was delighting the entire city, the visual arts students were putting their final touches to the ATU Graduate Show, An Taibhdhearc was buzzing with sweet Tuam sounds, the Ukulele Festival had just launched its programme, Galway was anticipating the Early Music and Folk Festivals, the mighty Druid company was gathering for a new production and hovering into view was the great Galway International Arts Festival.
The city was culturally alive and confident. This is Ronnie’s legacy, his city transformed. His achievements were all around him on that Friday. They will endure and Ronnie O’Gorman’s name will surely join the pantheon of the greatest Galwegians.
