Search Results for 'Old Galway Society'

Gerry Cahill was born in Caherlistrane and started playing music from the age of eight..... first the melodeon, then the double row accordion, and later the piano accordion. He was a great admirer of musicians like Will Starr and Jimmy Shand. He soon developed a distinctive style of his own and he was very much in demand at house dances and roadside dances, which were very common at the time.

The Church of Ireland school of the Galway parish of St Nicholas opened its doors on July 12 1926, next door to the Town Hall and opposite the Courthouse. This marked a new departure for the primary education of Protestant children in Galway but it also marked the end of a long and sometimes acrimonious struggle for multi-denominational primary education in Galway.

During the Black and Tan era, it was difficult for the IRA to be overtly active in Galway City because it was so heavily garrisoned. Renmore Barracks which was the headquarters of the Connaught Rangers, was occupied by the Sherwood Foresters, more of whom were based in Oranmore: There was a large detachment of the 17th lancers at Earl’s Island: The Auxiliaries had a Company in Lenaboy Castle: And, between the barracks in Eglinton St., two more barracks in Dominick St and many private houses which had been commandeered, there were some 500 men. In addition there were, at varying times, a number of troops camped near Galway.

This photograph was taken from the first floor of The Galway Arms at 2.25pm on a summer day in 1910 when these people were processing over O’Brien’s Bridge to the site of Saint Mary’s College for the laying of the foundation stone for that school. The large crowd is being led by a group of priests all wearing birettas, followed by several RIC men. There is an interesting mix of styles on view with some women wearing patterned Galway shawls while others are sporting large fashionable hats. Virtually all of the men are wearing headgear, be they hard hats or soft caps. Notice the tramtracks.

Michael Gillen was born in a house on a corner at Galway Docks in 1933. His family soon moved to Cooke’s Terrace in Bohermore, which he describes as “the best place I have ever lived in... you could not find a bad neighbour”. He had a “massive childhood”, much of it revolving around sport. Two of his great mentors were Tom Fleming and Martin King, both from Bohermore and both All-Ireland winners with the Galway hurling team in 1923. Michael’s dad grew vegetables and potatoes in ‘The Plots’ on the Headford Road, and his mother kept chickens in the back garden. Michael was always chasing them around, which is probably the reason why everyone called him Chick. This nickname stuck to him to the extent that one day, when a gang of his pals called to the door and said, “Is Michael in?” his mother had to think before she finally replied, “Do you mean Chick?”