Westside history - The Connacht Laundry

David Cavanagh

hi, I have a keen interest in the history of the Westside and was wondering if any of you can help? I pass the closed Connacht Laundry factory on Henry street regularly and often wonder what was its history. The building looks unusual as well and it looks like it employed quite a few people. Can anyone here tell me about its history, how old it is, how many people it employed, when it closed etc.? I've done a few internet searches but haven't come up with much. Have any historians written about the site or the area? Thanks!

biko

Henry Street isn't in westside, it's in "the west" (not that I am 100% where one changes to the other).

The site entrance is just where Henry Street and New Road meet





Some info
http://connachttribune.ie/former-laundry-to-be-demolished-to-eliminate-vandalism-730/

Mrs OBumble

Westside (as opposed to The West or the west side of the city) isn't old enough to have much history.

You'd find more by researching Rahoon parish ..http://www.libraryireland.com/topog/R/Rahoon-Galway-Galway.php

zell12

It was a business. That's all.
Investigate the Magdalene Laundry on College Road instead, about to converted into a home for domestic violence sufferers

biko

zell12, it's not your call to make. OP is interested in the old laundry, let's stick to that in this thread.

bobbyss

I used to pass it every day for years when I was going to school and in all that time I never saw a soul come or go from it.

Mrs OBumble

bobbyss wrote: »

I used to pass it every day for years when I was going to school and in all that time I never saw a soul come or go from it.

Presumably because workers had already started before you went to school, and didn't go home until after you'd gone home.

Mr O'Bumble worked there for a while a long time ago. It was a factory like any other.

judeboy101

Worked many a night shift in that place.

McTigs

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Presumably because workers had already started before you went to school, and didn't go home until after you'd gone home.

or maybe because oompa loompas

bobbyss

Mrs OBumble wrote:

Presumably because workers had already started before you went to school, and didn't go home until after you'd gone home.

Mrs OBumble wrote:

Mr O'Bumble worked there for a while a long time ago. It was a factory like any other.

I have no idea what factory hours are.
9-5? 8-5? Shifts?

bobbyss

bobbyss wrote: »

I have no idea what factory hours are.
9-5? 8-5? Shifts?

Factory hours are what is required per business needs i.e. They are often different

?Cee?view

https://www.independent.ie/business/johnson-takes-out-connacht-in-28m-deal-26181058.html

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVsokjdhjX9/?taken-by=abandonedgalway_

If this is history, I'm ancient Connacht Laundry was one of the best places to get summer work when I was at school.

Boradriver

I know quite a bit about the company. The Galway plant closed in summer 2007. If you go to archive.advertiser.ie and search 'Connacht Court Group' or 'Linen Supply Of Ireland', you'll find quite a lot of old ads and articles.

The Connacht Laundry was established by the Goodbody family in 1968. Shortly after, they bought the Court Laundry which was situated on Harcourt Street in Dublin, hence the name 'Connacht Court Group'. The company was sold to Johnson Service Group in 1998, renamed 'Johnsons Connacht Court Group'. It was again sold in 2003 to National Linen, who themselves were an Irish company that started up in 1998. Finally, in 2005, CWS Boco bought the company.

A new plant opened in Rahoon in 2007, 10-15 minutes from the old Henry Street site. When it was opened, it was one of the largest laundries of its type in Europe. They were warned about building on a fairy fort at the time but went ahead anyway. Most of the plant burned to the ground 6 months after opening. It was rebuilt shortly after but the Plant closed in 2009. ZeniMax operated out of the building until 2015 and it is currently occupied by Zeltiq Aesthetics.

CWS changed the company name back to 'Linen Supply Of Ireland' in 2009 & put the company into examinership. They shed quite a lot of jobs and backed out of rents and leases for their plants & depots in Limerick & Dublin as a result. All of their drivers & truck fleet was outsourced to a transport company afterwards.

They mostly just do workwear and mats now, having backed out of the linen business altogether in 2017. The company once had over 700 employees but is closer to 300 as of 2018, if not less.

Moomintroll99

I also heard that the site itself had changed hands for a large amount in the boom and was then bought at a bargain basement price after the crash.

I think there were/are plans for a massive hotel on the site?

Boradriver

Moomintroll99 wrote: »

I also heard that the site itself had changed hands for a large amount in the boom and was then bought at a bargain basement price after the crash.

I think there were/are plans for a massive hotel on the site?

That's correct. The site on Henry St. was tied up in NAMA for some time, then sold on to a development company. Plans were afoot for a hotel, however nothing has happened lately.

Galwayps

"Can anyone here tell me about its history, how old it is, how many people it employed, when it closed etc.? I've done a few internet searches but haven't come up with much. Have any historians written about the site or the area? Thanks"


The site was once home to a large house called West House which I think become a school for vocational qualifications like secretarial studies. Old osi maps will show it and information appears in many local history books