Some Stories from Volume 53

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Aran women, 1920s. Photos by Frank Stephens and Thomas H. Mason. Courtesy of the Library of Trinity College, Dublin and National Library of Ireland

Paisley and Galway Shawls

Brendan McGowan
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Local History

The so-called ‘paisley pattern’, with its characteristic curved teardrop or pinecone motif, is often seen on bandanas, pyjamas, ties and pocket squares, but two centuries ago the paisley-patterned shawl was an Indian-inspired, European fashion craze that kept skilled Scottish weavers busy. When that fad passed, Scottish weavers began to produce what became known in Ireland as the ‘Galway shawl’. Until the mid-nineteenth century cloaks, such as the so-called Galway or Claddagh cloak, were commonly worn by Irish women, but these gradually came to be replaced by shawls ...

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The Blake-Forster Family Tomb in Bushypark Cemetery

Charles Ffrench Blake-Forster

John McCarthy
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Local History

Charles Ffrench Blake-Forster was an Irish writer-historian. He was born in Forster House, Forster Street (College Road) in 1850. It was said that he was blessed with a gifted mind and an outstanding intellect from his childhood. His father was Captain Francis Blake-Forster, an officer in the Connaught Rangers. His mother was Mary Comerford, daughter of Henry Comerford, a prominent Galway businessman and merchant. The Forster family were originally from Hertfordshire in England and arrived in Galway during the 1640s. A great ancestor, Francis Forster, was granted property in County Galway by Charles II on 18 August 1677. The family acquired other properties ...

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Memorial to the 1902 Galway Bay Tragedy – Eight young men drowned

Galway Bay Boating Tragedy 1902

Lisa Henry
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Local History

On Sunday 4 May 1902, a tragic drowning accident occurred on Galway Bay. Shortly after noon on that fateful Sunday, eight young men set off in Colman Greene’s boat to sail to Kilcolgan Point at Tawin Island. The eight young men included Michael Dwyer, married with two children, Patrick Folan, married with one child. The others were single, Patrick McDonogh, John Barrett, Michael Burke, Patrick Walsh, Stephen Hynes, all eighteen and Patrick Byrne, twenty-two years of age. There was a fresh breeze blowing as they left Galway and when they were about a quarter of a mile off Tawin ...

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Whelan’ s Pharmacy located on Williamsgate Street, Galway

Pharmacist and Pharmacies Changed: Changed Utterly

Michael Whelan
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Galway Families

To qualify as a pharmacist in Ireland today students will have to spend at least five years in university and undergo a very difficult broad training, coupled with exacting examinations. My grandfather who qualified as a pharmaceutical chemist as it was then known served as an apprentice for about three years, followed by about six months in Dublin before being licensed in February 1897. He opened Whelan’s Medical Hall as it was then known soon after. He spent his life there. He died in 1932 and was followed by my father, also a pharmaceutical chemist, who died in 1967. I qualified as a pharmacist as we had then become known ...

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Thatched house on the corner leading to Waterlane

The Little Shops of Bohermore - Part Two

Fr Brendan Darcy, S.M.A.
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Galway Musings

Directly across from Monaghans, Bohermore was the entrance to Crowe’s Lane. Two doors away from the entrance, on the right side, the Harris family opened what became a very busy shop. Besides all the usual commodities, Mr Harris had fresh vegetables and potatoes regularly and they were in great demand. His son, Brendan, ran the shop. On Friday evenings (pay-day) the shop could be extremely busy. One Friday evening I went in to buy something, and Brendan asked me if I could help behind the counter. He was so busy, as tea, sugar and flour all had to be weighed. There were no tea bags in those days. And even the sweets ...

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Persse Workers circa 1890

Persse Galway Whiskey

Willie Henry
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Local History

A treasure in Galway whiskey has been returned to the city after over 100 years. Paul Garavan has acquired a bottle of Persse’s Whiskey from a collector. It is now on display in Garavan’s Pub. The name Persse is synonymous with Galway, mainly because of their whiskey distillery. The family involvement with the alcohol trade began circa 1800 when Henry Stratford Persse established a brewery at Newcastle. He later went into the whiskey distilling business and established a distillery at Newcastle in circa 1823. His home in Newcastle became known as Distillery House. His son-in-law, Burton Persse took over the business after Henry Stratford Persse died. He purchased the Joyce Distillery at Nuns Island in 1840 ...

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