Pictures and memories from old Galway

bodhrandude

ErnieBert wrote: »

Robbie RIP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scdh7QV7WEM&
feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1xNCK-uTas

I thought I would add to this, another shorter briefer clip of that great and much missed busker Robbie, the man with the golden voice. The last clip is his cameo in the 1988 Irish film The Courier starring Gabriel Byrne.

tracie2000

gadgetman496 wrote: »

Aurora Borealis wrote: »

Thank you. I had completely forgotten about that guy with the monkey. This thread is memory lane heaven!!

If I remember correctly the man with the monkey's was called Johnny Trayers from Tuam. He eventually moved to live in Galway City in Ardilaun Road Newcastle and at the time got hassled by the local residents when he move in there. Some claimed he was operating a brothel.[/Quote


Hello in writing some short stories about old crime in Ireland, this story caught my attention, if you have any more information in this story could you please forward it in to me I'd be very greatful

<mail snip, contact by Private Messages only>
Thank you.

christg

Anyone remeber the lad selling mussels in garlic mayo, he use to sell them from a wooden tool box that he would carry from pub to pub. They were in a little plastic cup and came with a wooden icecream spoon. I think they were 50p each and tasted excellent at the end of the night (as does everything)

pauljw11

And what becameof the traveller lad who used busk (sing) outside Woolworths in the square? Does anyone even know his name.

Also, the blind man who used play the accordion outside Glynn's (the treasure Chest)--I assume he is dead now, but does anyone know his name or anything about him?

Gadgetman496

pauljw11 wrote: »

And what becameof the traveller lad who used busk (sing) outside Woolworths in the square? Does anyone even know his name.

Also, the blind man who used play the accordion outside Glynn's (the treasure Chest)--I assume he is dead now, but does anyone know his name or anything about him?

The blind accordion players name was Hickey (Martin I think). He was from the West.

Gadgetman496

christg wrote: »

Anyone remeber the lad selling mussels in garlic mayo, he use to sell them from a wooden tool box that he would carry from pub to pub. They were in a little plastic cup and came with a wooden icecream spoon. I think they were 50p each and tasted excellent at the end of the night (as does everything)

Jasus, I remember that well but can't think of his name

He had totally gone from my memory until you mentioned it christg

christg

How about the pubs closing an hour early during the summer (10:30 I think) because the farmers needed to be in bed.

Or no TV during the day - because people should be working.

Or stopping at the shoe shop before school to buy tacks for your shoes, so you made noise when you walked down the hall

Or the leather sandles that the kids would wear, usually with short pants (when was the last time, besides the beach, you seen a kid with short pants ?)

Or open platform double decker buses - trying to hide from the conductor so as not to pay ?

thesandeman

gadgetman496 wrote: »

Jasus, I remember that well but can't think of his name

He had totally gone from my memory until you mentioned it christg

Bernard Galligan (sp). Lives out the country now.

Gadgetman496

thesandeman wrote: »

Bernard Galligan (sp). Lives out the country now.

That was him alright thesandeman

the happyhammer

did'nt we have mary the monkey also,the guy with the teeth was pat stephens of bohermore.what about the guy with the keys.sir james.

the happyhammer

the good old days.sent home every time the pipes in the toilet were frozen.( school was in woodquay).

Stevolende

claw14 wrote: »

Can anyone tell me who was in the Westside shopping centre. 1st was Tesco. 2nd ????? 3rd Dunnes. There was someone in the middle before Dunnes but cannot remember who

Surely 1st would have been Quinnsworth, think they only got taken over by Tesco's after 1998. Pretty sure the change happened after I got to know town.
I remember the hurdy gurdy player saying at that point that town had seriously lost a lot of what made it indivual/Galway & it's changed a lot since then again.
1998 Galway was the fastest growing town in Europe. I'm assuming it must have finally slowed down now, since there are ghost estates from 5 or so years ago dotted around. I think it had been overtaken as fastest growing a while before.

Don't think I've heard mention of the Chinese Restaurant that used to be upstairs where river island is now. Used to have to cross a bridge to get to the seating area if my memory serves.
Could be that was a latecomer, after the time being discussed.

Or earlier around 90/91 the guy who used to pelt buskers with eggs from one of the roofs on Shop st. Think it's where the chemists down from Easons is now.

I bet the Old Taaffe's Sweater shop is before a lot of people's memory, though family squabbles have only lead to it being a shop front with a painting over the front of it so far.

Gadgetman496

Originally Posted by claw14 View Post
Can anyone tell me who was in the Westside shopping centre. 1st was Tesco. 2nd ????? 3rd Dunnes. There was someone in the middle before Dunnes but cannot remember who

Was it not H. Williams?

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hairyfairy00

That's Tesco on the Headford Road, the one gadgetman was referring to used to be in Westside! Tesco was there many moons ago, then it was H.Williams and now it's Dunnes Stores.

Sponge Bob

hairyfairy is right save that it was not a real tesco but a franchise tesco owned by a dude named Albert Gubay

Stevolende

Right, thought Tescos just came in at that point & took over what had been Quinnsworth. This because all the large Dublin Quinnsworths became Tescos at the same time. Don't remember seeing Tescos around before.
I stand corrected though.

Yeah thought it was just that point that what had been a lesser known U.K. firm expanded over here. Not sure when it even got its largescale status in the U.K. it's everywhere now, probably across Europe & the former USSR too from what I recall reading.
Think several U.K. only supermarkets have a much larger corner of the market than they did at the time, but still haven't expanded over here. Morrison's ? Think that was a Northern U.k. firm that's now everywhere across U.K.
but I digress

BeardySi

Stevolende wrote: »

Surely 1st would have been Quinnsworth, think they only got taken over by Tesco's after 1998. Pretty sure the change happened after I got to know town.

Tescos were around in the 80's, left Ireland for a decade or so and came back after buying out Quinnsworth in the nineties...

Stevolende wrote: »

Don't think I've heard mention of the Chinese Restaurant that used to be upstairs where river island is now. Used to have to cross a bridge to get to the seating area if my memory serves

Royal Villa

Fuinseog

Treadhead wrote: »

Tescos were around in the 80's, left Ireland for a decade or so and came back after buying out Quinnsworth in the nineties...



Royal Villa

no wonder they went out of business. i went in once and just wanted a bowl of soup. the place was basically empty and they said a ten pound order minimum.

Paddyfield

Fuinseog wrote: »

no wonder they went out of business. i went in once and just wanted a bowl of soup. the place was basically empty and they said a ten pound order minimum.

Royal Villa are trading in Salthill for many years. I think they are in Oranmore too.

Fuinseog

Paddyfield wrote: »

Royal Villa are trading in Salthill for many years. I think they are in Oranmore too.

maybe the place on shop street was called ming gardens.

Paddyfield

Fuinseog wrote: »

maybe the place on shop street was called ming gardens.

Ming Garden is on the corner of Williamsgate Street and Eglinton Street, above Maxwell's. One of my friends calls it Minge Garden. I haven't been there for a while

bobbytables

It was defo Royal Villa on Shop St., it's not that long gone either. Was in there for a meal circa 05. Used to go there quite a bit when I was a teenager.

Does anyone know what that old black door leads to right across from the entrance to Easons on shop st.? It has always been a backdrop for buskers most weekends and has stuff built up either side of it. So it must be a corridor in to something.

jassha

bobbytables wrote: »

It was defo Royal Villa on Shop St., it's not that long gone either. Was in there for a meal circa 05. Used to go there quite a bit when I was a teenager.

Does anyone know what that old black door leads to right across from the entrance to Easons on shop st.? It has always been a backdrop for buskers most weekends and has stuff built up either side of it. So it must be a corridor in to something.

Royal Villa moved in 2006 . Used to love it there' that black door is only to a yard shared by tommy hilfiger and river island. Goes nowhere and nothing there but fire escapes

Aglomerado

Stevolende wrote: »

I bet the Old Taaffe's Sweater shop is before a lot of people's memory, though family squabbles have only lead to it being a shop front with a painting over the front of it so far.

Oh god, the pong from that place in the late 90s was unreal!

Fuinseog

Aglomerado wrote: »

Oh god, the pong from that place in the late 90s was unreal!

a real charcater. someone spread a rumour once that she had passed and her name was read out on galway bay fm death notices. there were red faces when she rang up to say she was still alive.

Gadgetman496

Fuinseog wrote: »

a real charcater. someone spread a rumour once that she had passed and her name was read out on galway bay fm death notices. there were red faces when she rang up to say she was still alive.

LOL! I remember that

nuac

Re Taafes - were there not two sisters there?

Heavy on the make up?

Gadgetman496

nuac wrote: »

Re Taafes - were there not two sisters there?

Heavy on the make up?

No, there was another woman there with heavy makeup and a horse :P I think her name was Powell.

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?Cee?view

gadgetman496 wrote: »

The blind accordion players name was Hickey (Martin I think). He was from the West.

It was definitely Hickey, but I think his name was Joe not Martin.

?Cee?view

gadgetman496 wrote: »

No, there was another woman there with heavy makeup and a horse :P I think her name was Powell.

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There was also the brother, Eddie.

Una Taafe herself had the heavy makeup.