The British raid on Inis Mór, December 1920

Thu, Dec 17, 2020

November 1920 was a bloody month in Galway with the killing of Eileen Quinn, Fr Michael Griffin, Michael Moran, and Harry and Patrick Loughnane. D Company Auxiliaries had made their presence felt.

An Bearna

Thu, Dec 17, 2020

In 1928, Galway Urban Council prosecuted a Mr James McHugh from Bohermore for failing to comply with a notice requiring him to remove his butcher’s stall at Kingshill, Salthill, on the grounds that he had built it without authority, beyond the alignment of the adjacent houses. In fact, Mr McHugh had already sent the council a letter requesting permission to build the stall but those on the council were not yet aware of their powers at the time, and their solicitors had advised them that they, the council, did not have any control over the erection of such structures. Though they did not approve of the stall, they had failed to notify Mr McHugh. The case went in and out of court but the stall stayed where it was.

A writer comes for Christmas 1945

Thu, Dec 17, 2020

Back in Connemara for Christmas, which she insisted on calling Christ Mass, Ethel Mannin opens the door of her little cottage, located between Roundstone and Clifden, close to Mannin Bay. She has been away for some time. She lights fires in all three rooms, to drive away the musty smell and damp, and soon she is comfortable sitting by the window looking out at the sea, the mountains beyond. She was back to stay until restlessness, or some political challenge, calls her away again.

The Galway camogie team, 1937

Thu, Dec 10, 2020

It is heart-warming to see the Galway Senior Camogie Team travelling to Croke Park on Saturday to play an All-Ireland final against Kilkenny, so, to honour the team of 2020, we thought to show you the team of 1937 who, having beaten Sligo in the Connacht final, went on to beat Antrim in Killester in the semi-final of that year. The score in the game was Galway 5 – 0 to Antrim’s 3 – 3.

100 years since Oranmore’s Joe Howley was shot

Thu, Dec 10, 2020

In the centre of Oranmore, stands a statue to a local man who was shot in Dublin one hundred years ago this week. Joe Howley, Officer Commanding Number One Brigade IRA Galway was killed leaving what is now Heuston Station, Dublin on December 4 1920, and was pronounced dead at 12.30 a.m. December 5 in George V Hospital Dublin.

Joe Howley, patriot

Thu, Dec 03, 2020

Michael Joseph Howley was born in Oranmore in 1895. His father died when Joe was just two years old. His mother was a sister of Peter Rabbitt, the proprietor of Rabbitt’s provision shop, licensed premises, and lodgings in Forster Street. She later married William Keane, the owner of Keane’s Bar in Oranmore. Joe, as he was popularly known, attended the local primary school and later went to the Bish in Galway. He obviously worked at farming as his mother once wrote, “He made a good lot with trading with cattle and sheep”.

The Persse Windows, St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church

Thu, Nov 26, 2020

The church of St Nicholas of Myra was first built c1320, making it 700 years old this year. It is the largest medieval church in Ireland and there has been constant Christian worship there since it was built. The chancel with its three windows in the south wall dates from the beginning, the nave, and the transept date from about a century later. In 1477 Christopher Columbus is believed to have worshipped here. In 1484, the church was granted Collegiate jurisdiction by which it was to be governed by a warden and vicars who would be appointed by the mayor and burghers of the town.

The killing of Michael Moran - Galway city, 1920

Thu, Nov 19, 2020

Sinn Féin’s declaration of an Irish Republic on January 21 1919, along with the killing of two RIC officers in Tipperary by the IRA on the same day, signalled the start of a guerrilla war for Irish independence.

Father Griffin’s body found

Thu, Nov 19, 2020

At about 3pm on the afternoon of Saturday, November 20, 1920, William Duffy of Cloghscoilte near Barna was driving cattle locally when one of them got stuck in the mud. William noticed part of a coat sticking out of the gap, so he went for his neighbours Patrick and Thomas Lydon, and later Patrick Cloherty and Patrick Concannon from Truskey joined them at what turned out to be a grave. They uncovered part of the body and realised that it was that of Fr Griffin. They decided to wait until it was dark so they covered up the body again, afraid that the Tans might return to remove it. William Duffy rode on horseback into Fr O’Meehan in Montpellier Terrace to inform him of the tragedy. Fr O’Meehan, Fr Sexton, and Canon Considine then hired Patsy Flaherty’s side car and went out to Clochscoilte.

Centenary of Fr Michael Griffin to be marked this weekend

Thu, Nov 12, 2020

On Saturday November 14 1920, Fr Michael Griffin was lured from his house on Montpelier Terrace by three men. By the Monday, there was no sign of him.

Father Michael Griffin

Thu, Nov 12, 2020

Michael Joseph Griffin was born on September 18, 1892, in Gurteen in east Galway, one of five children of Thomas Griffin and Mary Kyne. He was educated locally, then in St Joseph’s College, Ballinasloe, and finally in Maynooth. He was ordained in April 1917 and was seconded to the Galway diocese. He worked for a year in Ennistymon and in June 1918 was transferred to the parish of Rahoon which stretched from the river out to Furbo and Corcullen. He developed a great rapport with the children of the parish, spoke in Irish to young and old, organised feiseanna, currach races, and donkey races on Silver Strand.

Commemorative events on centenary of murder of Fr Micheal Griffin

Thu, Nov 12, 2020

A programme of Commemorative events has been organised to commemorate the centenary of the murder of Fr Michael Griffin during the War of Independence.

Tomás Bán Concannon

Thu, Nov 05, 2020

Tomás Bán Concannon was born on Inis Meáin 150 years ago on November 16, 1870, the son of Páidin Concannon and Annie Faherty. He was called ‘bán’ because of his blond hair and to differentiate him from other neighbours of the same name. He was educated on the island and, unusually for an islander, in the Monastery School in Galway. When he was 15 his brother brought him to America where he went to a number of colleges and attended Eastman College in New York where he graduated with an MA in accountancy. He spent some time working in a business selling rubber stamps, then in his brother’s vineyard in California, and he later set up a business in Mexico. It was there he came across a journal called Gaodhal published by Conradh na Gaeilge in the US. So he learned to read and write in Irish in Mexico.

Grattan Road

Thu, Oct 29, 2020

Crane’s Strand or Tráigh na gCorr appears on the 1651 map. It would seem to be the Whitestrand area before the building of Grattan Road. In Dutton’s 1824 survey we read: “It seems to be the general opinion of the oldest inhabitants that for some years past, storms and rains have been more frequent from the west than formerly. (Rice was sown here in 1585). As some corroboration of this idea, the encroachment of the sea near Recorder’s Quay on the west side of Galway, may be adduced, where the marks of the potato ridges may be seen, and where, only a few years ago were in cultivation, though they are now covered at every tide. Lately, the ground near Recorder’s Quay has been reclaimed by Mr Bulteel, and promises to remunerate his very spirited exertion.” (Probably the first ever reclamation of land in Salthill).

The story behind Inis Oirr's Plassey Shipwreck

Wed, Oct 28, 2020

Appearing in the opening sequence of the beloved comedy series Fr Ted, on the foreshore of Craggy Island, the world famous Plassey Shipwreck is definitely one of Inis Oirr's must see locations. But are you familiar with the story of how the steam trawler found its way on to the land?

Mícheál Walsh, The Old Malt

Thu, Oct 22, 2020

On September 22, 1920, 12 Black and Tans burst into the Old Malt Pub on High Street, breaking down the door and rushing upstairs to where Mícheál Walsh’s wife and children were sleeping. They demanded to know Mícheál’s whereabouts and then they searched the building, firing shots, exploding grenades, terrifying the children, and causing extensive damage to the property. They also broke open the safe and stole its contents, as well as taking money from the till in the bar. Clothing, alcohol, and tobacco were also stolen during the raid. The taps were opened on the barrels and then doors, cabinets, and furniture was smashed. The damage was estimated at £1,000.

Patrick Joyce

Thu, Oct 15, 2020

Patrick Joyce was born at Lisheenagaoithe, near Headford, on May 23, 1868. He became a monitor teacher in 1884, taught in Cloghanover School for two years, later as principal of Trabane, and then Tiernee in the parish of Carraroe. In 1892 he married Margaret Donohue. He was eventually appointed as principal of Barna National School and his wife taught in Boleybeg National School.

The Skeffington Arms through the years.

Wed, Oct 14, 2020

Walking through Eyre Square today, with the hustle and bustle of that iconic Galway atmosphere, city commuters going about their daily journeys, skateboarder flipping and tricking around the millennium fountain, those lazy afternoon coffee chats among groups of friends dotted around Kennedy Park, its hard to picture this space as it was afew hundreds ago, from then to now still the focal point of Galway life. Yet some iconic reminders of those historic Galway times remain to this day, with none more familiar or welcoming than that of Galway’s Meeting Place, ‘The Skeff’.

Stone mad

Thu, Oct 08, 2020

Like most towns, Galway was built using native stone and there was plenty of that around. There were black limestone quarries in Menlo and Angliham, and a limestone quarry at Merlin Park worked by the Blake family until about 1850 and later by Sibthorpes of Dublin. In about 1880, a Scotsman named Millar rented a number of quarries in the Galway area, two at Shantalla, one at Ballagh near Bushy Park, and one at St Helen’s, Taylor's Hill, where they quarried fine-grained red granite. There was a marble and granite works at Earl’s Island where one of the employees was a stonemason named Pat Fahy.

Some nasty close shaves in Galway

Thu, Oct 01, 2020

Baker’s Hotel and Billiard Rooms on Eyre Street was run by Captain Baker who had served with the British army during the war. It was much frequented by the Black and Tans, some of whom (including Edward Crumm) stayed there. Baker’s daughter Eileen, who had recently saved a little boy named Hennessy from drowning in the canal, gave evidence at the military enquiry into the death of Constable Crumm. The local volunteers suspected her of being too friendly with the Tans, and because of that she had a startling experience on the morning of September 18, 1920.

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