Pictures and memories from old Galway

I lived in Maree outside Oranmore and can remember the huge fire in Corbett's and the rest of the area back in 1970. The smoke could be seen for miles.

As a 60's baby I can remember Five Star where my mother did some of her grocery shopping, the rest was done when a man with a lorry went from house to house with his mobile "supermarket".

A special occasion was going to the GBC or Lydon House for a mineral as fizzy drinks were called back then and a cake that were served on the tiered cake stands.

Every summer Marquees were a big thing and I remember going to various ones seeing the likes of Gina, Dale Hayes and the Champions who are reforming

I remember the nightclubs in Salthill but cannot remember the names of them as the names changed the whole time. Also remember Seapoint the ballroom of romance.

I emigrated in 1984 so my memories are mainly prior to that.

One of the most noted landmarks in Galway City was the Padraig O'Connaire statue in Eyre Square, statue of old man sitting down and children climbed all over it. People had their photos taken sitting on it.

Swimming in Ballyloughane was literally a case of going through the motions - raw sewage.

In the Galway Shopping Centre there was a ladies clothes shop called Gaywear that catered for special occasion, long before people ever mentioned anything to do with anyone being gay.

I remember the proper farmer's markets on Saturday mornings down beside a church, think it was called St. Nicholas's.

Andrea B. wrote: »

Not a mention of Raftery's so far
There's a discount store there now to left of BOI on Mainguard St.
They were definitely ahead of their time for a small town.
Anything from a resistor to meccano to a bicycle.

A guy called Des was the main man......Can't remember his last name...??

Ya cant talk about Galway memories and NOT mention

Una Taffee and the way she might look at ya !
I remember always crossing the street to avoid meeting her dogs coming out of the shop and taking a chunk out of ya.

Anyone remember that big green metal art piece that was in the Galway Shopping centre before the roof went on, what was that all about?

Here is the map dated 1600s
Streets have really not changed that much.
You can even understand why PAddys bar on Prospect Hill use to be called the Gallows ... they hung people right outside the front door, its even depicted on the map if ou look closely.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old-Galway.jpg

Notice in the video that the gammy 80's style tracksuits worn by Sligo are the same design as what they have now.:D

alibabba wrote: »

Here is the map dated 1600s
Streets have really not changed that much.
You can even understand why PAddys bar on Prospect Hill use to be called the Gallows ... they hung people right outside the front door, its even depicted on the map if ou look closely.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old-Galway.jpg

Would be interesting to put names to the numbers on the map. By that I mean the names then and now for reference.

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Alfies ??

Nope, dont think so
Laffeys it twas

What about Caspers 24 hour chipper on Mary Street? What a kip.

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Tom Kenny has a stupendously good collection of Old Galway photos here

http://www.kennys.ie/News/OldGalway/Archive/

Most of them are older than the reference period for this thread , typically the last 40 years or so .

Tom also has a potted history of the street or event once you click through the photo and welcomes any added information through an email address at the bottom of each article .

He may well allow use of the photos if he is asked first by email and if the person asking wants to use it to support a point about that particular place but do remember he may have borrowed them in the first place and that copyright always applies and that if you do use it you should send him a link to the post where you used it in case he is interested .

People with Videos to post should also send the Youtube links through to Tom for use on his own site , I am pretty sure he would be grateful ( especially if he does not have to pay for the bandwidth )

There's a guy called Willie Henry who writes in the Galway Independent. In fact, he's the only good thing about that rag - I don't know how they got him.

In my opinion (and it's obviously only an opinion) his stuff is far more interesting and infinitely better researched than Kenny's. He really delves into the history of Galway rather than just filling column inches with lists of people in old photographs. He has a few great books out as well, one about a Coffin Ship that left Galway during the famine, the St. John I think.

Never met the guy but I hear he's very approachable as well.

Sponge Bob wrote: »

But he has no website , unlike Tom .

Very fair point. Henry's not geared up for the same publicity or as commercial as Kenny, more of an academic/scholarly approach I suppose. Having said that a search on the Galway Independents website will throw up some interesting stuff.

I don't get you SpongeBob? I'm not saying that Henry needs a website to be definitive? In fact, I'm saying that he's very good even though he doesn't have a website. Whereas Kenny, while he has a website and is interesting, really isn't in the same league as Henry.

Agreed on Semple, his books are full of great information, but I'd disagree in that the ones on the Corrib are quite different from each other.

Anyway....I'm not arguing (and I know you're not either S'Bob)

so, for those who want to go back a bit in Galway Time, check out

William Henry
Maurice Semple
Tom Kenny
Peadar O'Dowd
Hardiman's History of Galway
Wilde's Lough Corrib - his son wrote a bit of fiction
Journals of the Old Galway Society

..who else?