Galway In Days Gone By

State-aided emigration

Galway has long been looking westward for the development that will assuredly follow the re-establishment of trans-oceanic communication; but it is doubtful if the port of embarkation that existed here within the memory of our older citizens was an unmixed blessing.  Not alone was the port utilized for the carriage of mails to the western Continent, but thousands of families were State-aided to emigrate to Canada and the United States during the early ‘sixties.

Stripped of its romance, here is the story of Galway’s precipitous decline: In 1851, the borough had a population of 34,146. A decade later, it had reduced to 25,161, and thus the decline went on until in 1901 there were but 16,257 and to-day the once proud capital of Connacht holds but thirteen and a half thousand souls.

In 1841 there were 5,213 houses; in 1901, 3,072. At the beginning of the war, the Urban Council was busily engaged in demolishing old tenements, and in building up new houses in their stead. Two hundred and fifty roomy, cheap and comfortable artisans’ dwellings were erected.

New and spacious streets sprang into being. Open spaces were preserved; and the Council had in contemplation a much more elaborate scheme, which included middle-class houses, when the war stopped all loans.

The first business of the Council, upon the resumption of normal life will be to proceed apace with its house-building schemes, for since the war it has been increasingly difficult to get housing accommodation, especially for the middle classes.

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1943

Showers of money

Christmas Harvest. – If money were everything this Christmas should be the happiest in the history of Connemara. For the past week or longer money has been literally pouring into the area from workers in England.  In south Connemara especially, to which the majority of the emigrants belong, the local post offices have been having a busy time dealing with showers of telegraph money orders.  A considerable amount of money must also be arriving by ordinary post, as the mail-cars are now being escorted by Gardai.

Free turf

At the weekly meeting of the Mayor’s Fuel Fund Committee on Monday night, at which his Worship the Mayor, Ald. J. F. Costello, P.C., presided, Senator F. Hawkins, hon. Secretary, reported that about 650 families were now in receipt of one cwt. of turf every week. The distribution was most satisfactory and the thanks of the Committee were due to Messrs. Corbett for placing storage space at their disposal.

Cause for thanks

The fifth Christmas of the war finds our little country little worse off than at this time last year. With famine and pestilence adding to the frim toll of battle in almost every European country Ireland remains an oasis peace in a war scarred world. We have not escaped scot free, of course. The cost of living has soared to far greater heights than in Great Britain and we have been deprived of a great many pre-war luxuries, but there is still plenty of food for the average family as well as fuel and clothing.

So while we continue to grumble at pinpricks we are full aware of our fortunate position and will have infinite cause for thankfulness if our circumstances are not gravely worsened before another Christmas.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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