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On this day, the 14th of August in 1958, the Dutch KLM Super-constellation airliner named Hugo de Groot crashed into the sea about 100 miles off the Conamara coast with the loss of 99 lives. The flight was on its way to New York from Amsterdam via Shannon with 91 passengers and eight crew on board. Nobody survived the tragedy. It was the worst disaster involving a single plane in the history of aviation up to that point.

The Galway civic sword and mace are among the finest specimens of municipal corporation insignia in Ireland; the sword is particularly noteworthy and can be compared with the best of civic swords in these islands. Swords and maces were first carried by the king’s servants as symbols of the authority of the king himself. As time went on, the mayors and bailiffs of towns acquired swords and maces of their own, some following charter grants, others by mere assumption without specific authority. These were usually borne before the dignitaries concerned when they went in procession or were actively displayed when they acted otherwise in their official capacity. Maces, which were originally weapons, are staves of authority. Swords symbolise the legitimate use of force.

It is not surprising that any child with imagination, and an interest in the sea, would spend time at the city’s harbour watching the ships come and go, and the men who worked there as they talked and unloaded fish or cargo. As a child Kathleen Curran, once the home chores were done, would run down the back paths from her home on College Road and along Lough Atalia to the docks. ‘There she would stand and gaze in wonder at the ships, boats and trawlers, hookers and gleoteóigs tied up or coming and going about their business.’