The Order of Malta Ambulance Corps was established in Galway in October 1937 by Dr Conor O’Malley. The first meeting took place in the old Central Hospital when Dr O’Malley commenced a series of first aid lectures to a group who finally did exams and became members of the Order of Malta, generally known as the Knights of Malta.
Most of that unit are in out first photograph which shows, front row: Michael Burke, Palmyra Park; Jimmy Lydon; Timothy Murphy; Fintan Coogan; Maxie Dooley; Bernard Shapiro, Abbeygate Street. At the back are Seán Minihan, Nun’s Island; Jim Kenny who worked in McNamara’s; Bernard Raftery; Mattie Clarke who worked in Lipton’s; and Paddy Hennigan.
These enthusiastic youthful volunteers had their first outing in May, 1938 when they travelled to Knock to take care of the sick. The Galway unit began to expand by servicing every major sporting occasion in the city and environs.
The first lectures were given in the Eye and Ear Department of the hospital, later in the X-ray department, later still in a small room which was the ambulance drivers' rest room. They eventually moved into a room on the top floor of the CYMS, later to a place on St Paul’s Road and from there to a dilapidated one-storey building in Burke’s Lane. This was the first property they owned and it was made habitable by the members themselves. Later, they bought a premises on Helen Street, thanks to a fundraising scheme run by John Francis King, Seamus Kavanagh and Seán Malone with financial assistance from Claude and Billy Toft. Today, they are based in the Liosbán Estate.
The first women’s auxiliary unit in the country was established in Galway, drawing its members from the Presentation Convent School. They were Nellis Cosgrove, Anne Ellwood, Maureen McMenamin, Lily McDonald, Kit Ryan, Nora Moloney, Sheila Lohan, Pauline Forde, Bridie Kelly, Eileen Daly, Nellie O’Reilly, Bridie Powell, Maureen Thornton and Mrs Curran. Dr Mai Costelloe took charge of the ladies' unit and Dr Bill McHugh the men’s unit. In May, 1939, the unit lined up for the Corpus Christi procession, all very self-conscious as it was the first ever appearance of the uniforms in Ireland.
In September 1939, they gave much needed assistance to survivors of the Athenia which had been torpedoed off the west coast on the first day of the war. They also deserved huge praise for the way, as non-medical people, they dealt with the horrific scenes after the KLM aircraft crash in 1957. One of the quieter achievements was the effort made on behalf of the National Blood Bank prior to their first visit to Galway. Eddie Fox organised the members into a door-to-door canvas for donors and the response was so great that the Blood Bank had to turn people away.
Our second photograph is of the committee that ran their first annual dance in March, 1941. They are, back row: Sergeant TB Murphy, Fintan Coogan, Bernie Rafferty, Maxie Dooley, Maurice Staunton, Bernard Shapiro, Gerry Glynn. Middle row: Paddy Hennigan, Mick Burke, Ned Tobin, Dr Gerry Little, Dr Conor O’Malley, Prof Neil McDermott, Dr Bill McHugh. In front are Lucy Little, Margaret Thornton, ‘Birdy’ O’Halloran Houlihan, and Eileen Daly, Dr Mai Costelloe, Superintendent Maureen McMenamin, Bridie Powell, Nellie Cosgrave Lawless, Emma Glynn, and Mary Shaughnessy.
Our final image is of a group of cadets lined up outside the CYMS in 1953. They are, left to right: Cyril Doyle, Frankie Colohan, Paddy Fox, ----- , Ronan Gill, Wally McNamara, Christy Murray, Joe Flynn, Marty Newell and Mickey Kavanagh.
Since their inception, the Knights of Malta have given outstanding service to the people of Galway City and County, attending thousands of civic and sporting occasions.
