GALWAY’S HERITAGE - INFOMAR · 2019-05-16 · GALWAY’S HERITAGE - OIDHREACHT NA GAILLIMHEOIDHREACHT NA GAILLIMHE The Real Map of Inishbofin In July 2012, the INFOMAR team arrived

GALWAY’S HERITAGEOIDHREACHT NA GAILLIMHE

Vol 40 | 2018 | Uimhir 40

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GALWAY’S HERITAGE - OIDHREACHT NA GAILLIMHE

Table of Contents


Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Introduction to Seabed Mapping & Heritage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

An Archival Resource: The Galway Port Sanitary Authority Minutes . . . . . . .8

Merlin Park Woods Heritage Conservation and Woodland Coppicing Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Reviving an Ancient tradition in Stone Sculpture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Remembering Quay Lane: A tremendous place to live . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Quay Street Quay Lane Archaeological Finds Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Palaeoenvironmental Research at Quay Lane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Irish Post Medieval Archaeology Group Conference held in Galway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

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Editorial - A thriving local History scene, read all about itThis year’s crop of books about Galway’s Heritage and history has included some wonderful publications some of which will be revealed in the 2019 volume of this publication. The state of publication on Galway is very healthy and new authors continue to expand the horizons of historical research “Salthill a History” by Paul McGinley is the first in a multi-volume set on the history of historical research and production values and is excellent value at €30. Two smaller publications “Devon Park where it all Began” and Norbert Sheeran’s “A Georgian Memory A brief History of Merlin Park House and Estate” were both just “hot of the press” at the time of writing and both cram an enormous amount of research, good information and value between their covers. They are excellent value also at €15 and €10 respectively. Both publication, like the Salthill volume have brought their subject matter to life and have brought out the humanity, character and life of the places which they describe. They are indeed what amounts to an evocative record of people, times and places. Those readers who have not yet added Christy’s Kelly’s “Bushypark Our People - Our Place A Parish History”. Still have an opportunity to do so. Now two years in print this excellent volume is, like all the wonderful publications cited above still available (at an excellent price of €20) in all good bookshops.

Enjoy reading!

Dr. Jim HigginsHeritage Officer

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Fig 1. Clockwise from top left: Seabed mapping coverage in Irish waters; 3D image of seabed displaying deep canyons along the edge of the continental shelf; rock outcrops rising from the seabed off the north coast; a recently discovered underwater mountain chain near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; sandwaves in the Irish Sea; swirling channels in the estuary at Ballysadare Bay, Co . Sligo .

Ireland has a rich and proud heritage in the fields of cartography and hydrography. Between 1829 and 1842, the Ordnance Survey Ireland completed the first ever large-scale survey of an entire country. Acclaimed for their accuracy, these maps are regarded by cartographers as amongst the finest ever produced. The long history of the charting of the waters off the coast of Ireland began in the 16th century and this tradition may be said to be culminating with the current National Seabed Mapping programme – INFOMAR. The project is jointly managed by the Geological Survey of Ireland and the Marine Institute.

An area of seabed approximately ten times the size of Ireland has been mapped by INFOMAR over the last twenty years using research vessels equipped with sonar technology. The acoustic imagery acquired at depths of up to 5000 m reveal a myriad of dramatic seabed features. Far from being flat, the topography of the seafloor comprises deep canyons, rugged reefs, towering seamounts and ever-shifting sand waves (Figure 1.). All these features can be viewed for the first time in high resolution and have provided marine scientists with a wealth of knowledge to support many sectors: fisheries, weather forecasting, offshore renewable energy, conservation and navigation.

Introduction to Seabed Mapping & HeritageSome West Coast ExamplesEimear O’Keeffe, Marine Institute


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Fig 2. Schematic illustrating how images of the seabed are acquired using a multibeam echosounder .

Fig 2b. INFOMAR survey vessels (Top-Bottom): RV Celtic Voyager, RV Keary and RV Geo .

How the Seabed is Mapped

Data on depth and seabed type are collected by multibeam echosounders. These systems have a transducer which is mounted to the hull of a research vessel. As the ship passes over an area, an acoustic array of signals sweeps the seabed. The beams reflect off the seabed and return to the ship where the echoes are recorded (Figure 2.). The speed of the returning signal informs the depth, also known as the bathymetry, and the strength of the returning signal gives an indication of whether it is hard or soft ground.

Ireland’s seabed mapping programme began with the mapping of our offshore waters (Irish National Seabed Survey), and in the course of just six years had mapped the deepest waters (200 – 5000 m). The current phase, INFOMAR, aims to complete the mapping work, focusing on inshore bays and the Celtic Sea. The project also aims to generate thematic maps and products for a wider audience of stakeholders. Examples of such outputs include habitat maps, geological maps and an online shipwreck resource catalogue.

The project has a fleet of vessels equipped with state-of-the-art sonar equipment. The size of the vessel and the equipment on board determine the depth at which the vessel can operate. In general, the smaller vessels map the shallow areas and the larger vessels target the deeper, offshore areas.PROOF

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GALWAY’S HERITAGE - OIDHREACHT NA GAILLIMHEGALWAY’S HERITAGE - OIDHREACHT NA GAILLIMHE

Fig 3. Dogfish seeking shelter in the seagrass.

Fig 5. 3D image of the seabed off the exposed, southwest coast of Inishmore island, Aran Islands .

Fig 4. Maerl in shallow waters at the coral beach in Carraroe, Co . Galway .

Mapping Our Natural Heritage Marine Habitats

Seabed habitats constitute a large part of our natural heritage. Some of the most beautiful marine plants and animals are found merely a few metres from the shore in shallow depths where sunlight still has a major influence on the presence of plant life. Zostera marina (Figure 3) is a type of seagrass found in shallow, coastal waters off Galway and Kerry. Its lime green leaves form dense meadows on the seabed and it acts as a nursery habitat for juvenile fish. Along the Connemara coastline, dead fragments of calcareous seaweeds (Lithothamnion corallioides and Phymatolithon calcareum ) have built up into coral strands, their skeletal remains, originally red, now bleached a pale pink from the sun. Known as maerl, (a word originating from Brittany,) its accumulations in the shallow waters of inner Galway Bay shelter marine animals in such spectacular density that the EU Commission has labelled it a remarkable habitat (Figure 4).

At the back of Inishmore (Figure 5.), limestone cliffs are exposed to the full force of the Atlantic. Strong currents and even stronger waves add a dynamic element to an underwater environment of horizontal ledges and caves. The marine life is correspondingly enriched.

These submerged reefs are a habitat to kelp, anemones, urchins, coral, starfish, crustaceans and fish (Figure 6). Such is the diversity of life found on these reefs that they have been granted a protective status under the EU Habitats Directive. This protection is put into practice by designating a number of areas with reef around the coast as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC). Accurate maps of the seabed are vital to ensure that correct areas are designated. The aforementioned acoustic surveys can map the physical extent of the reef, but in order to map the sea life on and around the reef, video footage is required. This footage is obtained from underwater cameras deployed from a survey vessel using a cable or from direct observations from SCUBA divers. The recorded footage is analysed and the physical map (geological) can then be interpreted into a habitat map (biological).

There is growing concern about the potential damage to our marine environment. Habitat maps can be used to monitor any significant changes in the extent of our marine habitats which may be caused by any number of reasons: climate

change, pollution, overfishing, dredging, oil and gas exploration. Challenges from the industrial sector can be managed in a more sustainable way to ensure that industry can prosper but not to the detriment of the environment. This holistic approach to the management of our ocean is known as marine spatial planning and habitat maps are a key component to this process (Figure 7).

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Fig 6. Marine life on the submerged reefs off of the Aran Islands . Top row (L-R): Kelp (Laminaria digitata); jewel anemones (Corynactis viridis); dahlia anemone (Urticina felina) . Middle row (L-R): Edible sea urchin (Echinus esculentus); dead man’s fingers (Alcyonium digitatum); bloody Henry starfish (Henricia oculata) . Bottom row (L-R): Lobster (Homarus gammarus); soft coral (Alcyonium glomeratum); spider crab (Maja squinado).

Fig 7. Habitat map for the management of Kenmare River Special Area of Conservation.

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The Real Map of Inishbofin

In July 2012, the INFOMAR team arrived at Inishbofin, off the coast of Co Galway, with the goal of mapping the underwater terrain surrounding the island. This was to be the first time that INFOMAR had carried out a seabed survey encompassing an island. The island’s coastline and inshore waters presented a difficult challenge in terms of safe navigation. However, the final image shows a three-dimensional map of the seafloor surrounding Inishbofin and its neighbour, Inishark, providing a useful tool for the people to present their island in the context of its rich marine heritage (Figure 8).

Mapping Our Maritime Heritage

Shipwrecks

It is estimated that there are over 12,000 shipwrecks in Irish waters (Figure 9.). During the course of mapping the seabed, a number of shipwrecks were found. Some had been recorded previously by the UK Hydrographics Office. Others were discovered for the first time by the acoustic surveys. INFOMAR, in conjunction with the Underwater Archaeology Unit, maintains a detailed geodatabase for over 300 wrecks it has surveyed. The database comprises a comprehensive description of location, wreck condition, extent, and dimension and water depth.

Some of the more interesting shipwrecks have been remapped to produce a photo realistic image of the vessel on the seafloor. These data have also been used to generate 3D models of the shipwrecks, giving greater insight to the wreck, its condition and the surrounding site (Figures 10 and 11).

Fig 8. The full extent of rock that make up the islands of Inishboffin and Inishark off the coast of Mayo.

Fig 9. Shipwrecks observed in Irish waters during the course of the INFOMAR survey .

Fig 10. SS Tiberia . Fig 11. SS Chirripo .

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Historical Mapping

Older hydrographic surveys undertaken by the Royal Navy used lead lines to determine the depth along survey transects. Thanks to advances in technology, notably the advent of the multibeam echosounders in the early nineties, ships are now capable of surveying large areas far more quickly and to a level of detail that would have been inconceivable fifty years ago. A comparison between sonar imagery and historical chart data for Inishmore highlights the difference in detail between the two types of map (Figure 12). The rugged bedrock on the seabed is clearly visible on the acoustic image. These rock outcrops are

Closing Remarks

The INFOMAR project will continue to map the seabed for the foreseeable future, providing key datasets for the sustainable management of our greatest natural resource. All of the data, maps and outreach material produced from the seabed mapping programme are freely available to view and download from the INFOMAR website: www.infomar.ie.

References

1. Viney, M. 2003. Ireland. Blackstaff Press. Belfast.

This article is based on a talk given at the 8th Annual Galway City Heritage Conference 2018 which had as its theme Oileán na h-Éireann, Ireland’s Islands.

marked on the older chart using the letter “R”, but the extent of the rock is not as apparent. The depth, or sounding, is marked on the chart as a number and areas between the recorded soundings do not show any data. In contrast, the multibeam image shows continuous coverage that reveals the true nature of the topography of the seabed. The advantages of this for navigation are immense. All of the historical Admiralty Charts, maintained by the UK Hydrographic Office, are being updated presently with data from the INFOMAR survey.

Fig 12. Image shows the seabed off of Inishmore as seen on a multibeam echosounder image (left) and on an Admiralty Chart (right) .

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Galway County Council Archives hold a volume of minutes for the Galway Port Sanitary Authority, dating from 1902 to 1948 (reference code GCCA GPSA/1). The Authority was set up under the Local Government Board (Ireland) Provisional Orders Confirmation (No.4) Act, 1902 (also referred to as Galway Sanitary Order 1902), to manage the public health matters of Galway Port; most especially to prevent infectious diseases being brought ashore from any ships entering the Port. The Authority was formed as a joint board consisting of representatives of members of several Sanitary Authorities, namely those covering the Urban District of Galway, and Rural Districts of Galway, Gort and Oughterard in County Galway and Ballyvaughan and Ennistymon, County Clare.

The Board consisted of 17 members, elected from the respective component authorities. The Joint Board’s jurisdiction extended from Golam Head in County Galway to Hag’s Head in County Clare together with the water of the port of Galway. A subsequent Order, the Galway Port Sanitary (Adaptation) Order, 1932, re-constituted the Board given that Rural District Councils ceased to exist since 1925. Thereafter the joint Board was comprised of 8 elected members of the Galway Urban District Council, 7 of Galway County Council, and 2 from Clare County Council. The Authority was abolished in April 1948.

The minutes of the proceedings of the Authority are held in a bound volume of circa 500 pages, measuring 21 x 33 cm. The minutes include the date of the meeting and attendance details together with details on the business transacted and some correspondence. Many of the entries consist of quotes or summaries of letters received, generally from the Local Government Board.

The Authority was concerned with the management of the Incepting Hospital (Isolation) which was situated on a two acre site at Renmore Point. This was leased from the Governors of the Erasmus Smiths Schools, with the annual estimates of expenses and from the 1930s includes details of the number of vessels inspected for the purpose of preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Meetings were generally held sporadically, initially

every two months, later often quarterly, but by the late 1920s they were often held just twice a year.

The first caretaker of the Incepting Hospital was William Dolan. He retired due to failing eyesight in 1914 and was succeeded by John Carroll until 1918. John left the post to seek employed elsewhere, at which point his wife, Mary, was caretaker until 1948.

Mr Michael McNeill was elected Chairman of the joint Board at its meeting of 10th December 1902; a position he held for a number of years. John Malachi Leech1 was elected Clerk to the Board at that meeting.

According to the minutes Leech advised the Board at its January 1903 meeting that the hospital ‘very badly needed some repairs’. From 1905 until 1907 the meetings were dominated by the subject of a new hospital building. The estimated cost for its construction was £630 (GPSA/1, p27). A tender in the sum of £599 from F Lydon was accepted at the September 1906 meeting (GPSA/1, p29). In October 1907 the Board’s Clerk, Leech, reported ‘that the old Hospital building at Renmore Point was completely destroyed by fire on the 2nd inst.’ At the same meeting the Engineer advised that the ‘new building was now completed and that he had certified that the Contractor be paid the balance due on the Contract (£99)…’ (GPSA/1, p43-45).

The minutes further reveal that in early 1911 several patients were transferred from the Galway Union hospital to the Intercepting Hospital suffering from beri-beri2 (Feb-Jun 1911). In March 1922 the ‘Hospital was commandeered by the Military Authorities on the 22nd December and vacated on the 26th January 1921 and again taken over on the 7th February and handed over on 5th March’ (31 March 1922).

In March 1931 the minutes include a report of Sanitary Sub-officer, Thomas Cantwell (who held that position from 1929-1948), advising that he ‘had inspected ten ships from July to December 1930, and the destruction of a Parrott under the Importation of Parrots Order (Temporary Regulations) 1930’ (31 March 1931).

1 The 1911 census reveal Leech (born in circa 1878) was also a Commercial Teacher and Accountant. At that time he and his wife Kathleen had 4 daughters, Laura, Kathleen, Mary and Evelyn. They lived at 10 in St. Helen's Street (close to Dominick Street).

An Archival Resource:The Galway Port Sanitary Authority MinutesPatria McWalter

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By 1933 consideration was given to discontinuing use of the Isolation Hospital on the basis that it had not been required for many years past, and in 1947 consideration was given to assigning the lease of the Hospital to the Trustees of the Galway Yacht Club.

A renewal of the lease of the land at Renmore Point granted by the Governors of Erasmus Smith Schools to the Galway Port Sanitary Authority for 40 years as from 1st November 1946, at £5 per year, was signed in March 1948. At the same meeting the lease was assigned by the Board to the Trustees of Cumann Seoltoireachta na Gaillimh for a nominal fee (GSPA/1, 30 Mar 1948).

To learn more about the Authority and the Incepting Hospital access to the minutes is by appointment at the Archives. Details on Galway County Council Archives’ holding are available on its online catalogue at http://gccapps.galwaycoco.ie/archives/AIS5

Patria McWalterArchivist, Galway County Council Archives

Fig 1. Extract from the Minuets of Port Sanitary Authority October 12th, 1907 .Chart (right) .

2 A nutritional disorder caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1 and characterised by impairment of the nerves and heart.

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Introduction

Merlin Park Woods is located on the East side of Galway city. It is the oldest and largest urban woodland habitat within the city of Galway. It is a mixed woodland habitat with both historic, natural features. Some of the historic walls may be related to its late 15th/16th century tower house and its past as an old estate owned by the Blakes and later by the Waithman family. In its centre is the Merlin Park Hospital original built on this greenfield site as a TB hospital in the 1950’s. Remnants of a small conifer plantation which was planted in the 1960’s managed by the State Forestry Department still exist within the woodlands. Its management now is divided between the HSE who manage the South Woods and meadow habitats and the North Woods managed by Galway City Council. It is a popular local amenity and an area of high biodiversity with wildlife such as Red Squirrels, Foxes, Bats, birds and a large diverse population of butterflies, bees, wildflower and orchid species.

Friends of Merlin Woods a local voluntary group promote the positive uses and the protection of this valuable historical, wildlife habitat and local amenity. They are involved in citizen science recording the wildlife that inhabit the woodlands, running litter-picks, workshops and events promoting both its natural and historical elements.

Aims

Creating Awareness of Stone wall construction and repair using traditional methods. Initiating a Woodland Coppicing Programme, a return to traditional methods and to study effects on biodiversity. With the woods embedded in an Urban Environment, it has suffered greatly from neglect and anti-social behaviour. We hope by initiating these projects we can create a sense of local community ownership and pride. Restoring the beautiful old walls that run through the woodlands. In the long-term, we will look to develop community enterprise ideas which may help with the continuation of the projects. The woodland coppicing impact will no doubt have an impact on the biodiversity and we hope to have a better knowledge of species and data so with increased flora we should see an impact the following year and into the future with the continuation of the project.

Common Blue Butterfly by Colin Stanley

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Merlin Park Woods Heritage Conservation and Woodland Coppicing ProjectCaroline Stanley & Colin Stanley

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Caroline Stanley, Friends of Merlin Woods volunteering and organising events and projects in Merlin Park Woods since 2012. Organiser and facilitator of events in the woodland habitats from biodiversity weeks, heritage weeks, litter

picks, and cultural events. Works with local schools to bring experts to educate on biodiversity and his-tory. Has led educational walks for local community, An Taisce, schools during heritage and Biodiversity weeks. Collects data on the species and records to National Biodiversity Data Centre for the last 5 years. Organised a Bio blitz with experts visiting the woods to record flora, organised previous Heritage grants working with schools on Archaeology Field School and a Bat Survey of the woods.

Her responsibility was as Project management, administration and support labour. Part of the process was to engage with the public to participate in the project, communicate to the public the projects progression throughout the project, liaise with Galway City Council and Dr Jim Higgins, Galway City Heritage Officer to maintain a high standard and that work carried out was in keeping with the projects ideals, ensuring all safety requirements were fulfilled. She was available during the project to both the project leaders and the project participants and was also a participant in the stonewalling and woodland coppicing practice. To compile with the aid of the leaders the project report and photograph the progress from start to finish.

Fergus Packman is a local stonemason in Galway working with stone for over twenty years. Fergus Packman trained with the National Trust on the Ysbyty Estate in Wales between 1993 and 1994 and qualified as a dry-stone Waller with

the Dry-Stone Walling Association of Great Britain. Becoming a dry-stone wall contractor on the same estate, he carried out numerous projects from straight mountain walls to complicated sheep pens. From around 2000, he continued his training as a stonemason with George Richardson and John O Donnell in Galway before becoming self-employed in 2004 to concentrate on working on traditional stone walling to present day. The walls of Merlin Park Woods are mainly of limestone origin and we needed someone who was sympathetic to the styles seen in the Galway area. His interest in biodiversity and the importance of stonewalls as habitats or how they are used by mammals, birds and insects within the woodland and how the work he creates blends the restored walls with existing walls made him the ideal candidate. He was also patient with participants and precise in getting the best from each of them to ensure the work they were creating was set to the highest standard Dr Jim Higgins, Galway City Heritage Officer, engaged with us in an advisory capacity to ensure all work carried out was enhancing the woodlands as we wanted to ensure the work carried out created no damage to the environment and restoring the old walls would be done to the highest standards. He consulted with us before the project started and during the progress of the project.

Debbie Reilly was the woodland coppicing leader. She had already built up a re-lationship in the community through her previous projects in Merlin Woods working as part of the Galway 2020 Our Place in Merlin Woods where she

coppiced an area of woodland and used the greenwood coppiced to create an artistic setting in the coppiced area and created coppiced wooden structures to complete the work. She has also worked with the local community garden in Merlin Woods, giving guidance on coppicing areas surrounding the garden as it is embedded on the woodland edge and creates the link between the garden and the woodland.

Using the coppiced Hazel wood, hazel hurdle fence panels were built and used in the garden to create a nice backdrop to an herb bed and complementing the stonewall features behind it.

She also ran greenwood craft workshops giving people practical experiences on using greenwood hazel for creating garden tripods, stools, trellis and how to create wooden dowels to joinwoods together. She was the perfect choice to conduct the workshops as she engaged well with participants, her knowledge of woodland coppicing brought a great deal to the project with her understanding of the relationship between coppicing and biodiversity through research she had carried out on existing projects.start to finish.

Project Leaders Biographies

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Methodology: Methodology for Stone Wall Restoration Workshops

Preparatory Work Days

Survey conservation sites and assess any risk factors in the work area. Working with the woodland coppicer, we will remove the sapling trees/shrubbery that impede the workspace and that may cause further damage to the walls in the future. Clear the working areas and prepare the workspaces for the trainees, laying out the stones required ahead of the workshops for easing in to the introductory workshops. Complete a sample panel of walling for participants to visualise the finished wall.

Workshop Days

Induction Basic health and Safety Instruction on lifting techniques, ensuring appropriate dress (personal protection equipment).

Brief outline of the work including information of the type of stone that we will be working on, style of walling to be repaired and a brief history of the site. The benefits of stonewalling to the historic location and to the wildlife environment.

Workshop Each day will consist of 2 x 3hr sessions per wall repair workshop with no more than 10 individuals with the aim of completing a standalone project at the end of the works

Methodology for Woodland Coppicing Site Preparation: • Biodiversity survey • Creating access to the area for Fergus Packman and the dry stone wall restoration. • Identification of trees for coppicing and standards

Introduction to coppicing including practical, historical and ecological reasons.

Health and Safety – Participants will be introduced to the hand tools we will be using in the woods and given a demonstration on the techniques, uses and maintenance of them. These include bowsaw, loppers, axe, secateurs Information on Safety Wear including gloves, boots and weather appro-priate clothing. Examples of traditional building techniques of Dowelling, Knotwork and Weaving Species identification.

Identify areas to be coppiced within the work space with the participants. Preparation and storage of coppiced wood. Each workshop will consist of 2x3hrs with a break for lunch. No more than 10 participants per workshop with the aim of having a completed section at the end of each workshop.

The Preparatory Workshops

On the 29th July a Site Visit by both Debbie Reilly and Fergus Packman to the area of where the first participatory workshops would be started. They identified any health and safe issues which may arise and accessed any risks to participants. Between them both they decided on a course of action to be taken in the initial preparatory workday, what trees would be needed to be removed that impeded the stonewall restoration/building and which may be added obstacles to completing the work.

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Preparatory Workday

The area around the stone pillars and wall were completely overgrown with hazel, ash and ‘Old man’s beard’. The ground around the area was very uneven with fallen stones and trees. After a risk assessment, and safety precautions put in place, Debbie coppiced the ash and hazel to open the area around the wall leaving a beautiful hawthorn and holly growing either side of the newly accessible path through the pillars. Fergus then cleared back the soil and mosses from the piles of fallen stones along the wall and moved the stones aside bringing the ground level back to the original. He also restored a pillar, so the workshop attendees could see how the other pillar should look on the introductory workshops.

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Pillar areas and wall features to be restored, trees to be coppiced. Coppicing to be done around wall area where trees impact the restoration.

Pillar surrounded by scrub growth and trees pre -coppicing.

Trees cleared and coppiced.

Coppiced Hazel.

Restored pillar and coppiced area around it.

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Stone Wall Restoration Workshops: Introduction to Stonewalling

The first workshop we began was a half day workshop, introducing the participants to working with the limestone and to give them a chance to complete a first project which would be the second pillar, the first being completed during the preparatory day. Health and Safety induction and manual handling was carried out, checking appropriate personal protection footwear and gloves and identifying any possible hazards. A short talk was given on dry-stone walling and working with limestone.

The participants worked to recreate the second pillar and allowed them to get used to working with available stone from the area around them. Also making them conscious of the vernacular architecture in the area to ensure the work they did blended with existing stonewall.

Stone Wall Workshops

Full Day Workshop The wall which was to be worked on was in a considerable style of disrepair. One of its features was a step style and it was felt that it would be beneficial to completely rebuild for both structural integrity and as an educational experience.

Participants dismantling the old wall, sorting the stones into various piles keeping note of the stones that were used as part of the step style.

The project over the next few workshops was to restore and rebuild a T-wall consisting of approxi-mately 12-15 square metres. The step style would be built in its original location. A crush style would also be built sympathetic to the modern usage of a well-used gap in the wall along with a stop end to learn the method of creating other features in stonewalling.

The walls were methodically dismantled. Material was separated into:

Foundation Stones

First Lift Stones: first lay of big stones

Through Stones: Stones that run through the wall from face to face at metre intervals at knee-height.

Hearting/Packing Stones: Stones used to fill up the middle of the wall Coping Stones: a vertical course of similar sized stones approximately 12 inches that sit along the top of the finished wall, serving both decorative and structural purposes.

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Participants and Leader Fergus Packman stand beside restored pillar.

Restored pillars front view.

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Full Day WorkshopWhen working with a finite resource, it is important to ensure you have adequate amounts of these stone materials and if new material was to be brought in that it is in keeping with traditional dry-stone wall restorative practice. It was an important part of the process for the participants to be aware of the distinct types of stone as in this instance we were using the material available to us in the woodlands.

Foundations were 26 inches at the bottom and 18 inches at the top.

Camber and Batter of the wall

Profile bars were used to set out the wall, then a string line was used to keep the wall straight and maintain the batter.

By the end of this day foundations stones were in, and the walls were up to the first step in the step style.

Volunteers were encouraged to work at a steady pace, focus on quality of work, rather than quantity.They were also encouraged to build with the green mossy side of the stone exposed to blend in any restorative work with existing old walls. Coping stones were in Place. Step style was in place. The T-Wall was coming together.

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Top Lift -Final layer before the coping stones, important to have the stones running into it lengthways for strength.

Front view of T-Wall.

Rear view of T-Wall.

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This wall has been tied into an existing stonewall so important to blend the restored wall with the old wall. This wall also has a crush style feature, using an existing walkthrough to maintain the existing path through here. It gives the participants the opportunity to learn a new skill in stonewalling.

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Fergus and some of the participants after a long and wet day.

Another feature of the wall is the Stop end.

The string line to keep the wall straight and maintain the camber.

Finished wall with Crush stile and Step stile.

Outcome of the Projects

Saving an important feature of the woodlands history which adds to the stories of the families who once lived here.

Maintains a traditional craft and passes the knowledge on. Attracted visitors and got great response from local people who loved to see this type of work going on in the woodlands. A major source of conversation, a beautiful visual impact to the woodland walks. Participants went away happy that they had learnt a new skill or improved a skill they had previous experience in but little training or direction in previously. They left with an appropriate level of competence and practical experience to take away and perhaps become more involved in stonewalling in future projects here or elsewhere. A sense of pride in the work achieved. As the weather was often wet at times on the days of the workshops, it was great to see people still eager to carry on and work through it.

Although Fergus Packman had worked with training apprentices this was his first experience of running a workshop. He felt as the project progressed, he grew into the project himself and was delighted with the end results. The participants responded well to his direction and produced a beautiful piece of dry stonewalling to a high standard which is a stunning addition to the local built environment.

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Woodland Coppicing Workshops Saturday August 5th Introduction to Woodland Coppicing

Debbie went through the risk assessment, a safety talk and demonstration of the techniques and tools used in traditional coppicing. In the area behind the stone pillars, we then identified and tagged the trees to be coppiced leaving holly, hawthorn, beech and willow as the standards. Throughout the afternoon we then worked coppicing the area, opening the canopy allowing light to stream into the woods. We coppiced up to the edge of the old conifer plantation with the hope that the new growth will encroach into it. As we coppiced we separated the harvested wood into three categories… Large branches, Small branches and shrubby tips of branches. The large and small branches were stockpiled discretely in the woods and Debbie has been using it for several different workshops and projects in the community since. The smaller shrubby offcuts were traditionally placed around the coppiced stool to prevent deer and livestock from eating the new growth. As this isn’t needed in Merlin Woods, we created stacks in the woods which will become a habitat for a multitude of creatures.

We raked back the ground in the area removing ivy and young beech and sycamore saplings which are dominant and invasive in the area. This is to encourage biodiversity and the growth of ground flora such as dog violets, lesser Celandine and other flowering plants that grow in various parts of the woods.

Coppiced area beside the area of stonewalling workshops.

Workshop outcomes:

Community Engagement

- Introduction to the silviculture of hazel coppicing as forestry management and its role in preserving biodiversity in our woodland including the re-establishment of a neglected hazel stool

• Create a new area of discovery within the woods and access to the newly restored stonework

• Butterfly and habitat conservation

• Native tree conservation

• Research into encouraging new growth into conifer area

Area 2 - limestone area: workshop 2+3

This area was chosen because of its unique biodiversity within the woodlands. It is home to Early Purple Orchids, Harebells, Wild Thyme, and Carline Thistle, and these plants can be found in no other area of the woodlands. Over the years this area has become encroached by Hazel, Gorse and Old Man’s Beard, a clematis with vigorous growth.

To preserve these species and encourage more growth of these species, it was an ideal candidate for the coppicing project. Because it is encircled by trees, it is also a very good habitat for butterflies because it holds the heat and is a sheltered location.

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Below Ciaran Bruton in foreground clearing small branches and clematis while Jim Mc Manus and Debbie Reilly work on bigger branches

Butterfly habitat conservation is another reason we chose the limestone area for coppicing. We coppiced hazel, ash, beech and sycamore on the periphery of the limestone crop to increase the exposed ground allowing the ground flora to flourish. The trees in this area were completely overgrown and smothered with ‘Old Man’s Beard’ with the canopy of the trees weaved with the vine. As we coppiced and removed the scrub, several stunted trees of oak, whitebeam and crab apple were found and given a new lease of life as they stretched and stood tall taking in the new light. We used the wood harvested from the coppicing in this area to create two small hazel hurdle fences defining our preferred entrance to the area and fill out gaps in the trees where we would like to avoid increased footfall. We also created two experiments in this area ring-barking an established hazel and ‘dead man’s beard’.

Ring barking/girdling is when a ring of bark is removed impeding the flow of nutrients to the roots eventually killing the tree. It may be useful if it works for long-term removal of young beech and sycamore which can out compete some of our native species as we have seen in other areas of the woods where they are dominant. We identified a few new young oaks in this area as well once we had cleared back clematis and Hazel.

A lovely oak growing on the limestone pavement area.PROOF

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1919

For anyone interested in stone carving in limestone and who would like to have a stone plaque bearing their coat of arms (or indeed any other type of stone carvings which they would like to commission). Many options are available from Galway Stone Design working at Claregalway Castle, Co. Galway.

The carvings are of a superb quality and in many ways they are a revival of the sort of skilled stone carving for which Galway City was justifiably famous in the late medieval period, and most especially between the early 1500’s and the 1650’s.

Reviving an Ancient Tradition in Stone SculptureDr. Jim Higgins

Fig 1. Some arms of the Galway Tribes, including the arms of Deane, Bodkin and Browne .

Fig 3. A replica of the Athy Doorway of 1577 the doorway now in Galway City Museum once graced the front of an Athy family mansion in Abbeygate Street, Galway .

Fig 4. Not all of the work made by Galway Stone Design is in stone . This composite imitation chimney piece based on a French example is a superb moulded work of art .

Fig 5. A composite cast replica of the Athy Doorway of 1577 . Te original door case would have had a plain sub-base under the stop blocks which raised the height of the door . The original (which is in Galway City Museum) bears the arms of one of the Athys along with his merchants mark flanked by the date 1577.

Fig 2. The wonderful tradition of impaled arms on plaques and chimney pieces which was so common in Galway City and parts of County Galway is reflected in this heraldic panel . On it the arms of the couple are impaled (combined in a single shield with the motto of the man’s arms, and the dates of birth of their children are all wonderfully and simply represented . This style and tradition was particularly common in Galway City between the 1570’s and 1650’s and is found on numerous so called “Marriage Stones” whether on chimney pieces or heraldic plaques or houses .

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Remembering Quay Lane: A tremendous place to liveSusanna Robinson

My family lived at number 4. I was born in the house in 1948 and delivered by my great grandmother Susan Kelly and a neighbour, Mrs Flaherty from the house opposite which is now a tea shop. My sister Mary was born in the house one year later. Our Uncle Paddy Kelly, his niece Kathleen and our great grandmother looked after us for 3 years whilst our parents were living and working in England. I was born to the sound of the Angelus bells.

At the time we had no cot so Claire Sheridan, a cousin of Sir Winston Churchill, lent us hers. She was a painter who lived in the house adjoining the Spanish Arch which was the museum for many years after she left Galway.

Our great grandmother was a widow who always wore black, including a shawl. She reared her own 14 children. When my mother’s mother died in childbirth in 1923 she brought up another family, my mother and her sister Mary Ellen and their brother Tim. She was helped by her son Paddy and niece Kathleen. She was a very devout woman and a great singer. She taught my mother and her brother the words of many songs and they would have lovely evenings in the house around the fire singing song after song. Galway Bay was always the favourite. My mother and her brother would go on to sing with Sonny Molloy and others at weddings and wakes and were in great demand.

At number 5 Quay lane lived Sarah Toole, her brother Josie and their father Michael. Her father was always, it seemed to us, a very old man who smoked a pipe. He would come into Uncle Paddy’s at number 4 some evenings and tell tales of leprechauns and such things. We always thought the statue in Eyre Square [Padraic O’Conaire] was of him. Next to Sarahs was the BP Garage owned by Tommy Rabbitte and Rory Cooke. Both lovely gentlemen. That then became the Punchbag theatre. We would watch plays there then go into Sarah’s for tea in the interval.

The pub at the corner would also sell bread. My aunt would send me down for a ‘pan’ loaf which I had not heard of before. My mother’s best friend Mary Allen and her parents had a shop which mostly appeared to sell candles, matches and oil. It had a distinctive smell. There was a counter in the shop. This is now Cobwebs.

At number 3 lived the Hernon brothers Michael and Paddy. Michael was a designer in the hat factory and also liked to paint. Paddy would carve beautiful churches and make cottages from turf. Lovely men

and great fun. My uncle Paddy had an altar made by him and always kept a picture of the Sacred Heart and a candle alight there on the wall of the living room,

The Shaughnessy family lived on the street next to the Hernons. We played with Kay and Collette. I think their father had a taxi.

On the corner was Mary Jo. I don’t ever recall seeing her but we could hear her always saying the rosary whatever time of day we passed the house.

Behind our house was the back of McDonaghs family house. Their boys PJ and Seán were great friends of my brother John and were always calling to each other before meeting up to play.

At night we could hear the Quay Stream always flowing. We could hear people laughing on their way home over the bridge and be woken in the morning by the sound of seagulls and the smell of freshly baked bread cooked over a turf fire.

I miss it tremendously.

This photograph features Mary Atler who lived in a shop where oil was sold at Quay Lane. The photograph was taken at the Spanish Arch Fishmarket, photograph courtesy of Sue Robinson.

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Mr Hernon, Quay Lane. Photography courtesy of Sue Robinson.

John, Sue and Mary Kelly at Quay Lane in 2012. Photograph courtesy of Sue Robinson.

Susan Kelly (Grandmother) Shaughnessy Boys & friend. Photography courtesy of Sue Robinson.

Susanna Robinson from Quay Lane at Fishmarket with the Spanish Arch and the old museum in the background.

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Michael Hernon of Quay Lane & Mary Ellen Heaney. Photograph courtesy of Sue Robinson.

Annie Kelly (left), her aunts and her sister, with (on far right) Mary Ellen Heaney outside No. 4 Quay Lane. Photograph courtesy of Sue Robinson.

(Left to righ): Josie Toole, Paddy Hernon, Sue Robinson, her sister Mary, a friend (Mary Kelly), her brother John & her father Phil Kelly in Quay Lane sometime in the 1970’s. Photograph courtesy of Sue Robinson.

(Left to righ): Josu Toole, Paddy Hernon, sue Robinson, her sister Mary, a friend (Mary Kelly), her brother John & her father Phil Kelly in Quay Lane sometime in the 1970’s. Photograph courtesy of Sue Robinson.

Susanna Robinson, her uncle Paddy Kelly and her sister Mary at Quay Lane. Photograph courtesy of Sue Robinson.

Sarah Toole of No. 5 Quay Lane Outside her house which was white washed at the time.

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Tommy Holohan & Sue Robinson at an exhibition of Albert Kahn photographs. In Galway City museum, Masaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe. A photograph of Nan O’Toole is visible in the back ground.

Rear Quay Lane with McDonaghs Fertilizers (where Jurys Hotel is now) in the background.

In the Herons House Quay Lane The painting of the Spanish Arch on the wall behind was done by Sue Robinson.

Quay Lane students Mary Allen and unidentified. Photograph courtesy of Sue Robinson.

Quay Lane Late 1960’s or early 1970’s. Photograph courtesy of Sue Robinson.

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24

Quay Street Quay Lane Archaeological Finds Analysis Dr. Jim Higgins & Frank Coyne.

Archaeological excavations at No’s 25 Quay Street and No’s 2 – 5 Quay Lane have been completed and a small glass covered slot has been left in No. 25 Quay Street so that a very small section of part of the of the 13thCentury outer wall of the de Burgo Castle can be seen. The finds from the excavations have been numbered and tagged and cleaned for analysis. The objects recovered include a large number of medieval, late medieval, and post medieval timbers which were mainly reused in the 19th century refurbishment of the building on the site, but also included some later 19th and 20th century timbers as well. Among the timbers were frameworks for daub and wattle screens which formed the internal walls of some medieval and late medieval buildings. Similar timbers have been found elsewhere in Galway, most recently at No. 6 Upper Abbeygate Street and in Garavan's in Shop Street. Also found were some reused ships timbers which had been reused as a wall plate. The organic layers at the site are undergoing analysis at present and this works is grand aided by The Heritage Council and Galway City Council. Dr. Karen Molloy and Dr. Carlos Chique are working on the production of a pollen core from the site and the results are tantalising. Cereal processing or storage seem to have been occurring at the site and one of the interesting finds from the material seems to be evidence for walnut shells. The radio carbon dates from the core will undoubtedly be of great interest. It would be wonderful if the de Burgo Castle dates were augmented by earlier dates or evidence for the Irish (O’Connor) fortification at the site. The architectural fragments from the site include dressed stone with diagonal tooling made using bolsters and querks and possibly with masons’ adzes. Evidence of 12th – 13th century workmanship, late 15th to early 16th pick dressed tooling also occurs on stone work. Some late 15th/16th style mouldings profiles are used as late as the 1580’s to circa 1610 at the site even though the dressings of the stones is very different. Some 18th century stonework also occurs. The moulding profiles of architectural fragments at the site, the presence of in situ door fragments and the discovery of used and reused door and window fragments provided the basis for the reconstruction of windows and doors at the

building. The slates used at the site included Blue Bangors and in the 19th and 20th century but stone and slate from various sources were also found. Schist and greisse were used for roofing slates probably in the late medieval period and schist slates were used in the 17th century at places like the Cromwellian fort at Arkins Castle on Árainn as well. Stone tiles of Liscannor or Malby stone were also used. These sorts of stone were used extensively also at Rosserrilly Abbey near Headford Co. Galway. Similar material at the Quay Lane Quay Street site was used as paving. Pounding stones and smoothing stones made from black pebbles were also recovered. The bricks include examples of 18th and 19th century types of various sizes and locally made brick, brick from the Annaghdown and Clonboo areas as well as a few Scottish imports were in evidence. The pottery from the site included high quality imported French wares and we look forward to the identification of some of the more unusual items from the assemblage. Animal bone, shell, insect remains as well as fish bones and other organic material from the site continues to be analysed. Apart from metal items like nails and spikes, one coin from the site remains to be identified and other items include some leather and wood. The glass bottle found seems to be of late date but a lot more analysis needs to be done yet. The publication of the site results will certainly be interesting and we have also to publish a social history of the site and would be very interested in getting as many photographs of people associated with Quay Lane. Sue Robinson (nee Kelly) Phyllis Lydon from Quay Lane, Tom Kenny, Roy Palmer and others have already provided us with some wonderful images of the place and its people and we would be delighted to receive as many more images as possible to fill the gaps. The Man of Aran is now open for business and has proved immensely popular. It is wonderful to see what was an important series of buildings brought back into use. Seán Duane and Co., are completing the installation of the restored first floor stone framed windows on the Quay Street side and David Duffy is working with the stone masons to complete the restoration of the late medieval door which survived from circa 1500’s - 1600’s on the Quay Lane side.

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Palaeoenvironmental Research at Quay LaneKaren Molloy and Carlos Chique

In September 2017 a short sediment core was taken from within the medieval site being excavated by Aegis Archaeology Ltd. in Quay Lane, Galway City Centre. Initial inspection of the core, which includes layers of (upper) organic and (lower) inorganic sediments, revealed a large amount of (yet to be identified) bone and plant material. Palaeoenvironmental analysis - primarily the examination of fossil pollen and macrofossils of the core - is currently being carried out at the Palaeoenvironmental Research Unit (PRU), School of Geography and Archaeology, NUIG. The aim of this project is to gain an insight into local environments prior to the construction of and/or contemporaneous with the building of the 13th century Norman (de Burgo) fortification. Highlights from preliminary analyses include records of large quantities of cereal-type pollen and a rich weed flora with many species likely associated with arable ecosystems. The results are tentatively interpreted as reflective of a domestic site in which storage, processing and/or disposal of cereal crops was ubiquitous. We await the results of radiocarbon dating to reveal the age at which sediments began to accumulate at the site and the time-frame represented by the sediment core.

Fossilized cereal-type pollen (57μm) from the sediment core obtained at Quay Lane

Carlos Chique and Karen Molloy examining the sediment core from Quay Lane

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Irish Post - Medieval Archaeology Group Conference held in GalwayIPMAG is the Irish Post – Medieval Archaeology Group and has been in existence now for over 25 years. For the first time ever it held a very successful conference in Galway in February 2018 at the Harbour Hotel and attendees were brought on tours of Galway’s late and Post Medieval Archaeology and buildings by the Heritage Officer. The group also had several guided tours of Franks Coyne’s wonderful excavations of the 13th century Anglo-Norman castle site (and possibly it’s O’Connor precursor ?) on the corner of quay Street and Quay Lane.

Congratulations to all concerned on the success of what was a stimulating and enjoyable event.

The poster for the I.P.M.A.G conference , by the way included in image by the great folklore and folk life expert Caoimhín Ó Danachair of a man selling his hand -woven basket work at the market in Woodquay in Galway.

The conference was very well attended and it would be wonderful (if funding was available) to have the talks from the conference published in book form.

Fig 1. Selling baskets work at Woodquay, Galway . It would be wonderful to be able to identify the man and the boy in the picture which was taken in the 1940’s, The image is copyright of the Irish Folklore Department at University College Dublin, Belfield.

Fig 2. Left to right, Cllr John Walsh who deputised on behalf of the Mayor of Galway, Dr James Lyttleton, Dr Jim Higgins Heritage Officer and Frank Coyne at the launch of the IPMAG conference at the Harbour Hotel .

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An Archaeology of Northern Ireland 1600 -1650By Rowan McLoughlin and James Lyttleton

Published by Department of Communities, Colour Print Book, Newtownards, 2017, 434 pages, price £20 Sterling , hardback with dust jacket.

The book was commissioned by the former Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure as a result of a recommendation of the ministerial advisory group for the Ulster Scots Academy (MAGUS). It is an archaeological survey and inventory of plantation period sites across the six counties of Northern Ireland and according to the introduction: The Principle aims of the project have been to identify the contribution that the Scots made to the process of plantation, and the collection of an archaeological sites and monuments related to their daily lives, settlements traditions and culture. Sites associated with the Gaelic Irish and English populations are also included, as all three groups interacted with each other.

The preliminaries – A Foreword, Acknowledgements, Project Acknowledgements and List of Abbreviations occupy pages I –XII

Chapter I – Introduction is a vital one comprising 18 pages with some large illustrations. The Introduction has a useful section on the background to the project and a good exploration of the background to the 1610 Plantation including the background to earlier attempts at colonisation in the 1570’s down to the large scale appropriation of native Irish land, the dispersions and exiling of the Irish population under the Ulster Plantation Scheme of 1610 onwards. Walter Devereaux 1st Earl of Essex launched his own colonial attack on eastern Ulster in August 1573. His genocidal attacks on Rathlin Island and Dunluce set a pattern in terror against both the earlier Scots settlers and native Irish alike. Piratical plantation in Ulster

after the nine years war resulted in the multiplication of new monument types castles, bawns military earth works town walls fortified mansions and new settlements all became established. Massively large Jacobean mansions were likewise a feature.

In 1605 Chichester ordered the firing of a million bricks for his Belfast mansion. Buildings of new types and scale also attended the architectural landscape. The end of the Nine Years War in 1608 and the Flight of the Earls of Tyrone and Tyrconnell in 1607 speeded the colonizing project and the rate of dispossession.

The 1641 Rebellion as a reaction to the hardship caused by dispossession brought matters to a head and intensive warfare continued into the 1650’s. Surveys of Ulster in the 1640’s and 1650’s are discussed and this is very useful in setting the scene. Also highly useful is the section on the published secondary sources for the Ulster Plantation.

Chapters 2 – 7 are County by County Gazetteers arranged by Barony covering Countries Antrim, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Armagh and Derry/London Derry. The catalogue of sites is arranged roughly along the lines of an Archaeological Inventory. Chapter 8 is entitled “Discussion and Conclusion”. Two Appendices occur. The first is on the topic of “Battle fields 1600 -1650 in Northern Ireland” and the second is a list of site co-ordinates. A glossary, bibliography illustration credits and an index complete the book. The inventory of sites include plans and photographs along with some wonderful extracts from maps all of which are good quality images. The publication is a very handy book of reference and is well produced on good quality paper. It is highly readable and as well as cataloguing sites associated with the Plantation. It provides good succinct descriptions of a good range of sites of archaeological historical and architectural significance and for students of the archaeology historical geography and history of the period is a vital resource highly recommended.

Dr. Jim Higgins

Book ReviewsBook Reviews

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Will Galway Beat Mayo? - How a 1960's G.A.A. rivalry reawakened the WestBy James Laffey

Hardback, €25

James Laffey, in his latest publication, Will Galway beat Mayo?, chronicles not only the great footballing rivalry that exists between these two great Connacht counties, but also provides a history of the social and economic scenes that existed in the west of Ireland from the late 1950’s up to the end of the 1960’s.

It is a remarkable piece of work. Not only does the author provide detailed analyses of the lead up to the great matches but he also provides and a very personal insight into the players thoughts and lifestyles. The book has many photographs that had not been published before and the author’s journalistic and research skills come to the fore when he speaks of the effect these games had on the ordinary public, the pride of the people in the maroon and white and the green above the red. For many people at the time, the meeting of Mayo and Galway in the Connacht championship was one of the key events of the year.

James Laffey captures the west of Ireland at a time of mass emigration and declining populations despite the major construction developments of Bellacorick and Tynagh Mines. He talks of the bleakness that was experienced by Fr. John D. Flannery, a promising Mayo footballer, who was posted to Inishboffin and oversaw the last of the people to leave Inishshark. There was also the ban on clergy in taking part in sporting fixtures and how they sometimes “overcame” the ban. The radio was a vital mode of communication for many aspects of life but was a key instrument in getting the matches and the results to the masses. When television arrived in the early 1960’s, it was just in time for the G.A.A. to be able to show Galway’s great three-in-a-row All-Ireland Finals wins from 1964 to 1966.

One of the ties between the two counties appears to be the nursery of Gaelic football that was, and continues to be, St. Jarlath’s College in Tuam. Many young men from both Mayo and Galway were reared on football in St’ Jarlath’s and would have played together in Hogan Cup Competitions only to become rivals on the county scene in later years. This continues to be the case today.

Throughout this period of time James Laffey describes the visit of President John F. Kennedy to Galway, the thriving, rural ballroom scene in the west of Ireland, the extensive carnivals that took place to raise money for clubs, the USA trips by county teams (and the “smuggling” of guns on return trips), Clann na Talhmain, poteen making on the island of Lettermullen, travelling shops and many other aspects of what was rural Ireland in the 1950’s and 1960’s. While the economy was bleak at that time, the one sure thing that you could count on was the Connacht Championship each year and the question: Will Galway Beat Mayo?

Micheál Higgins

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City of Streams Galway Folklore and Folk Life in the 1930sCatríona Hastings

The History Press Ireland, Dublin, 2017, 256pp Price €14.95

On the 13th of November 1937 between 300 and 400 teachers attended a conference in the Presentation Convent Tuam on the topic of the recent initiative of the Department of Education which heralded the launch of the Schools Folklore Collection in Galway City and County. This publication presents a selection of the folklore and folk life traditions collected in and around Galway City in 1937 -8 under the Schools Folklore Collection Scheme.

The book is based on the contents of the collection made by senior pupils in fourteen National Schools in Galway City and its environs. Not all schools participated in the scheme but the schools represented in the selections from the collections are as follows: Caisleán Gearr/Castlegar NS; Mionloch/Menlo NS; Ceathrú an Bhrúnaig/Carrowbrowne NS; Scoil Naomh Séamus/Freeport NS (Barna); Páirc na Sceach/Bushypark N.S: Clochar na Toirbirthe ; Rahoon/presentation convent Rahoon; Chlochar na Trócaire (Newstownsmith)/ Convent of Mercy NS (Newstownsmith); Scoil San Nioclás (Buachailli)/ St. Nicholas NS (Boys); Scoil San Nioclás (Cailíní) St. Nicholas NS (girls); Scoil Naomh Brendán/ St Brendan’s NS; Scoil Bhaile – Chlaír na Gaillimhe (Buachaillí)/Claregalway NS ( Boys); Urán Mór (Buachaillí) Oranmore NS Boys; Oranmore Convent.

The schools Folklore Scheme was devised by Séamus Ó Duilarga and Seán Ó Súilleabhaín as an adjunct to the Irish Folklore commissions gathering of folklore from adults and the scheme has been described as “ a great salvage operation financed by the young independent Irish State”. Using a handbook provided by the Folklore Commission teachers directed the School children in seeking folklore from their parents, grandparents, teachers and older members of their communities and recorded what they heard in school copy books. Overall the Schools folklore collected throughout the state was vast (the Northern Irish State refused to cooperate regarding folklore judging it to be "irrelevant and superstitions"). In eighteen months 1,128 volumes. (500,000 manuscript pages)

were collected. The original material is now in the National Folklore collection at University College Dublin. The material from various countries is also available on microfilm in local libraries. Recently the material has begun to be digitised and the Galway Schools collection is among the first to be made available and can be accessed at www.duchas.ie .

The handbook which was distributed to schools outlined in some detail how the material was to be collected and ordered. Instead of a usual weekly composition, fifth and sixth class pupils were allowed to write into their copy books the folklore hey had collected. A percentage of this material was then copied into a log book either by a teacher or one of the pupils. In some schools the entries were entirely written by the principal teachers.

The material presented in Caitríona Hasting’s book is based on the microfilm material in the Galway County Library at Island House only. After providing just the right amount of background information Caitríona in her introduction goes on to discuss language, the schools and the Irish language and the ‘residual’ Irish spoken in the Galway area in the 1930’s and language usage in 1937 – 1938. Other topics dealt with in the introduction include the recording of oral traditions, Ireland in the 1930’s, farming, electrification, Galway in the “Hungry Thirties”, fishing, emigration. The Claddagh, Health, Religion, entertainment, sport visitors, the wider picture and finally conclusions. The methodology the author used in editing her selection and the order in which the material has been selected is described in the section entitled “Editing”. A Short History of the Galway Schools (pp 35-42) follows the Introduction. Six chapters under a variety of topics form the main body of the book. These are entitled as follows (1) My Home place, (2) Hearth and Home, (3) Beliefs and Customs, (4) Oral Literature, (5) Prayers, Poems Proverbs and Riddles, and (6) Local History.

These chapters occupying pages74 to 253 of the book and are followed by an Afterword (p.254) and by Notes (99 255-256). The book is very readable and a joy to dip in and out of for gems of folklore, beliefs stories and folk life information and social history. It can of course also be read and re-read from cover to cover in a sitting or two. Where the material was recorded in Irish only it is accompanied by Caitríona's own translation and a wonderful selection of black and white photographs enhances the text. These include images provided by Tom Kenny, Galway City Museum - Músaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe and N.U.I. Galway. The book is well laid out and designed and is an intensely readable one which comes highly recommended.

Dr. Jim Higgins

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GALWAY’S HERITAGE - INFOMAR · 2019-05-16 · GALWAY’S HERITAGE - OIDHREACHT NA GAILLIMHEOIDHREACHT NA GAILLIMHE The Real Map of Inishbofin In July 2012, the INFOMAR team arrived