Hat factory Bohermore

galwaybird

Hi guys

Just wondering does anyone know anything about the hat factory that used to be on Bohermore... where exactly it was located, any stories about it or pictures of it. My boyfriends Granny used to work there many years ago in her late teens she was 90 this month and she mentioned it recently while we were visiting. Just curious if anyone has any info

Thanks

Galwaybird

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Heard of it alright, I believe it was up near the graveyard. Don't know anything else though but I must ask my parents out of my own interest. They seem to know all things historical about the city! If I find out more i will post here.

biko

If your gran is into old Galway there is a thread here you can show her. It doesn't mention the hat factory though.
Has some old photos and vids from around the place.

Mrs OBumble

I'm sure there was a thread in here about it ages ago ... or if not, then an article in the Advertiser. Try google.

biko

Fascinating stuff

The real name was Les Modes Modernes
http://www.hetireland.org/index.php?page=ireland_hats

Spear-headed by the then Minister for Trade, Sean Lemass, the delegation including Senator John E McElinn and Marcus Witztum (a Polish-born Jewish businessman who lived in Ireland), set off for France. They visited a small hat factory called Les Modes Modernes, owned by a French Jew, Henri Orbach. He had invited his brother-in-law Serge Phillipson to leave Berlin and work with him in France. Henri agreed to move his factory to Galway, and sent Serge to run the business there in November 1937.

At the opening of Les Modes Modernes in Galway, business was boosted when the Bishop of Galway encouraged his lady parishioners to wear hats instead of head-scarves to Mass. Serge was joined in Galway by his wife Sophie and their daughter Rachel, but soon afterwards, mother and daughter made the tragic mistake of returning to Paris for Sophie to be with her elderly mother and for Rachel to attend school there. Sophie was eventually arrested by the French police and sent, via Drancy, to the concentration camp where she perished. Rachel survived the war and was reunited with her father in Ireland. She currently lives in Canada.

antoobrien

galwaybird wrote: »

Hi guys

Just wondering does anyone know anything about the hat factory that used to be on Bohermore... where exactly it was located, any stories about it or pictures of it. My boyfriends Granny used to work there many years ago in her late teens she was 90 this month and she mentioned it recently while we were visiting. Just curious if anyone has any info

Thanks

Galwaybird

IIRC the hat factory used to be the units on Sandy Road beside GBFM. There was a bottlers (C&C I think) on in Bohermore.

biko

To the right, you can see Les Modes Modernes, known to Galwegians only as the 'Hat Factory'.It opened in 1938, and was a major industry in Galway at the time, having 110 female & 54 male employees, and producing about 1200 hats a day.
http://www.kennys.ie/News/OldGalway/11012007-FrBrendanDarcy/

thesandeman

It was in Grealishtown where the apartments and gym are now. It later became Clada Minerals.

gerryo

antoobrien wrote: »

IIRC the hat factory used to be the units on Sandy Road beside GBFM...

That was the Cotton Factory

Andrea B.

It was in Grealishtown where the apartments and gym are now. It later became Clada Minerals.

I think it was Corrib Mineral Water Co.
Clada still in existence on Headford Road.

thesandeman

Andrea B. wrote: »

I think it was Corrib Mineral Water Co.
Clada still in existence on Headford Road.

We could both be wrong (or right). Possibly it may have been Connaught Minerals who I think became Clada when they moved. There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing in those days (some things never change ;-) ).
It was whoever supplied Heineken back then if that rings any bells.

galwaybird

Wow guys thanks for all the info and picture.. I'm definately going to dig deeper :-)

SashaK

I am presently doing some research into the Hat Factory at Bohermore for an MLitt and would love to have the opportunity to speak to anyone who worked there or had family who did.

The factory was established by a number of Jewish businessmen from Paris who formed a company with a number of local businessmen in 1937-38. It brought new technology and designs to Ireland with the vision of creating a 'state of the art' Hat industry. With the onset of World War 2 and the 'Emergency Years' the factory faced acute problems as well as the personal difficulties of the Jewish businessmen and technicians trying to get their families to safety.

rufs

galwaybird wrote: »

Wow guys thanks for all the info and picture.. I'm definately going to dig deeper :-)

It was definately where nrg gym is now, cotton factory was in sandy rd. My bro worked in cotton factory

TerrorFirmer

SashaK wrote: »

With the onset of World War 2 and the 'Emergency Years' the factory faced acute problems as well as the personal difficulties of the Jewish businessmen and technicians trying to get their families to safety.

If you're researching this, I would love to hear more on this.

tinofapples

thesandeman wrote: »

We could both be wrong (or right). Possibly it may have been Connaught Minerals who I think became Clada when they moved. There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing in those days (some things never change ;-) ).
It was whoever supplied Heineken back then if that rings any bells.

Connaught Minerals was the plant where the apartments/gym are located now, my father worked there, I remember being in there a few times. He was born and raised in Cookes Terrace so didn't have too far to go for lunch/dinner from his "Mammy" . I don't have any memories of the "Hat Factory" but I must ask him next time I'm talking to him.

thesandeman

I prob know him. Grew up in the terraces myself. If he went to school in Brendans he would have passed the Hat Factory every day.

rufs

thesandeman wrote: »

I prob know him. Grew up in the terraces myself. If he went to school in Brendans he would have passed the Hat Factory every day.

I grew up in liammelows !!!

LadyMayBelle

What a fascinating thread! Im working for a jewish organisation in London, and they are often on about people they know who moved to Ireland, even Galway in their grandparents time... So far I have not been able to find any info but this is really interesting! Must ask my Gran when Im home next; she lived in the little houses that used to be by the railway tracks but is proper old Galway and Im sure she will have some information. Good luck researching!

whitey1

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

What a fascinating thread! Im working for a jewish organisation in London, and they are often on about people they know who moved to Ireland, even Galway in their grandparents time... So far I have not been able to find any info but this is really interesting! Must ask my Gran when Im home next; she lived in the little houses that used to be by the railway tracks but is proper old Galway and Im sure she will have some information. Good luck researching!

Google "castlebar hat factory podcast". There was a hat factory established in Castlebar under the same scheme. The podcast is around 45 mins long and has a lot of background on the Jewish Families who came to Ireland

SashaK

You are right the Hat Factory in Castlebar is connected and also part of my research. Thanks for all your interest

amanda13

Hi SashaK,

My Mom worked there in the thirties - the daughter of the factory owner Rachel Orbach is mentioned as having left for Canada - if you come up with any photo's of the women in the factory I would love to see them. I was told my that my Mom was one of a few employees that used to get picked to 'model' the hats - she would have been 17 in 1937, a beautiful redhead with brown eyes.

SashaK

Hi Amanda 13,

Thanks for this. I will let you know if I come up with any photos.