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Galway – It’s My City
Gaillimh – ‘Sí mo Chathair í
Education Pack for Primary Schools
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Introduction
CIVIC
s Chairman of Galway Civic Trust it is my pleasure to introduce this
education Pack "Galway- It’s My City" / Gaillimh –‘Sí Mo Chathair í"
to you. The Civic Trust was established in 1992 with one objective:
to preserve, protect and enhance the natural and built environment of
Galway through positive action. To this end we have undertaken a wide
variety of projects over the past eleven years, projects which have made an
appreciable difference to the conservation of Galway’s unique heritage and
environment. This, our latest project, is something of which the Civic Trust
can be rightly proud. Galway is OUR city, and it is the city we will
eventually pass on to our children and subsequent generations. There is an
Irish expression, which says "Mol an óige agus tiocfidh sí". It was with this
in mind that we began the task of producing this Education Pack for
Primary Schools. Our young people are the inheritors of our city – they are
its youngest citizens, and its future custodians. It is my hope, and the hope
of the Directors of Galway Civic Trust, that the use of this pack in our city’s
Primary Schools will enable our young people to fully appreciate what a
great city we live in, and understand why it is incumbent on each one of us
– no matter how young or old - to play our part in caring for our city.
Galway deserves nothing less.
A
David Niland,
Chairman, Galway Civic Trust.
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Acknowledgements
CIVIC
he production of this pack would not have been possible without the
assistance of a great many people. Firstly, the Board of Directors of
Galway Civic Trust, who believed in this project from the start, and
who worked to make it a reality. The Heritage Council awarded us a grant,
which allowed us to produce the first draft of this Pack. It would not have
gone beyond the idea stage without their support, and we are extremely
grateful for that support. Galway Lions Club was also most generous in
supporting the publication cost of the Pack – we are most grateful.
T
For advice on content I am indebted to Peadar O’Dowd, a former
Chairperson of the Civic Trust, who provided not only editorial advice, but
also healthy doses of encouragement, for both of which I am most grateful!
Willie Henry, a Director of the Civic Trust, also served as a very willing and
extremely able contributor and editor to the Pack. Prof. Etienne Rynne was
an invaluable source of information on Lynch’s Castle and the de Burgo
Castle. The section on the carved stone of Galway owes much to the
previously published work of Galway City Heritage Officer Jim Higgins,
which I gratefully acknowledge. The wonderful illustration of Lynch’s
Castle was specially commissioned by the Trust from heritage consultant
Jack Harrison, and was kindly sponsored by Allied Irish Banks, to whom
we are most grateful for their support and encouragement. The illustrations
of the de Burgo Castle came courtesy of the Offices of the Revenue
Commissioners, Custom House, Galway, for which, again, our thanks.
The Environment Section, Parks and Culture Section, and Community and
Enterprise Section of Galway City Council were very helpful in providing
information and illustrations, and I am particularly grateful to Ann Ruane,
Richard Maguire, Stephen Walsh, Kenneth McSharry, and Gary McMahon
in this regard. Brendan Smith of the Terryland Forest Park Steering
Committee provided me with the illustrations for the section on the
Terryland Forest Park, for which I thank him sincerely. Sustainable
Energy Ireland have produced many excellent workbooks for schools on the
subject of sustainable energy, and much of the information on this subject
in the Pack came from these workbooks, which I am happy to acknowledge.
The task of researching the Pack’s content was made much easier by the
contribution of a number of people, who worked with me over the past two
years. I would like to thank Oliver Martin, Deirdre O’Neill and Ciara
McGrane for making the load a little lighter, and putting their own
distinctive stamp on certain sections of the Pack.
The illustrations in the pack came from a variety of sources and I would like
to acknowledge in particular Peadar O’Dowd, who contributed many of the
wonderful sketches of old Galway, and maps of the Fourteen Streets and
Fourteen Lanes of medieval Galway. Sketches of the carved stone of Galway
were originally drawn by Michael Lenihan many years ago for a calendar
produced by the Civic Trust, and we were delighted to reproduce them and
allow them to be enjoyed by an even wider audience.
For design of the Pack I am indebted to Ray & Ann Marie of Link Associates
for their professionalism, inventiveness, patience and good humour in the
face of pressing deadlines! Standard Printers did an excellent job on the
production, and my thanks to them also.
Finally, to all the teachers who read the Pack in its draft stages, made
constructive comments, class tested it, and reassured me that it would
actually be of use in the classroom, my sincere thanks. The ultimate
objective was that this Pack would be both useable and used in the
classrooms of Galway. Your contribution has gone a long way towards
making this objective a reality. Míle buíochas.
Jackie Uí Chionna,
Manager, Galway Civic Trust.
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Contents
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Teachers Introduction
Page 1
The Origins of Galway
The Founding of Galway
The City of the Tribes
Fourteen Tribes of Galway
Fourteen Streets of Galway
The Fourteen Lanes of Galway
St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church
Marriage Stones
A Tale of Two Buildings
The deBurgo Castle
Lynch’s Castle
The Story of Lynch’s Window
Galway Placenames
The Claddagh
Map of Claddagh Village
The Claddagh Ring
Wordsearch 1
Did you Know…?
Galway Treasure Trail
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It’s my City - it’s my Community
It’s my City - it’s my Community
Democracy at Work - How Galway is Run
Democracy & You
Wordsearch 2
How good a Citizen are you?
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40
41
42
It’s my City - it’s my Environment
My City, my Environment
The Environment
Test your energy IQ
Recycling
Gaillimh Ghlan
A Sticky Problem!
Terryland Forest Park
Photosynthesis Experiment
Galway’s Waterways
Wordsearch 3
Green-schools
How you can make a difference
Useful Contacts & Websites
Answers & Solutions
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Teachers Introduction
CIVIC
his pack came about because of a perceived gap in the primary school
curriculum. It was felt that while the curriculum covered subjects
such as history, environmental studies, social and personal
development, none of the material was presented in a way that gave
children a real sense of the place in which they live – their own city of
Galway. The aim of this pack is to discuss aspects of the above topics in a
way that will focus directly on their own city, thereby making them more
aware of their own local heritage and environment. The Pack aims to
interpret the history, heritage and environment of Galway in a way that will
allow children to appreciate what a special place they live in, and through
this appreciation to encourage them to become good citizens and become a
positive influence in their communities. It is our hope that, through the use
of the Pack, the young people of Galway will learn to understand and value
their unique heritage, and take an active part in helping to preserve it.
T
In the words of Freeman Tilden:
"Through interpretation understanding, through understanding
appreciation, through appreciation protection".
Galway is also a rapidly expanding city, and faces all the challenges which
such expansion brings to any city – problems with creation and disposal of
waste, erosion of the natural environment, anti-social behaviour etc. This we
have also addressed with specific reference to Galway. Sections on My
Environment, and My Community place the focus on how every pupil can –
and should – play his or her part in ensuring that Galway continues to be a
good place in which to live. The emphasis is on how I can play an active part,
no matter how small, in how my city develops by being a responsible citizen.
The Pack is designed for use by Fifth and Sixth classes, and every effort has
been made to cover areas which are in accordance with the key characteristics
of the curriculum as set our for Social, Personal and Health Education by the
Department of Education and Science, i.e. that such learning:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Is a lifelong process
is a shared responsibility, between family, school, health professionals
and the community
is a generic approach
is based on the needs of the child
is spiral in nature
is developed in a combination of contexts
engages children in activity-based learning.
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Use of the Pack
For ease of use this pack has been divided into three main sections. These are as follows:
• Galway – My city’s rich history and heritage.
• Galway – It’s My Community
• Galway – It’s My Environment
It is hoped that through using this pack that the children will develop:
• An interest in the history and heritage of Galway,
• A sense of pride in their unique city,
• A sense of ownership and responsibility for the environment,
• The skills involved in preserving and improving our environment for the future,
• A general awareness of what being a good citizen means – and how we can become one.
Teaching and Learning Strategies
The language used in the pack has been kept as simple as possible for ease of comprehension.
The Pack has also been printed in black and white to allow for easy photocopying of relevant
sections and class use.
In each section as outlined above the methodology has been devised as follows:
• General background information on the subject in question
• Experiential learning activities
• Team and individual projects
• Field trip work.
Each section also includes a reference list for the children. This reference list includes lists on
additional reading, related web sites and of course relevant web addresses. If the school doesn’t
have a computer facility available to the children, a list of useful addresses for the organisations
linked with the topics are also given.
This pack has been designed to be of interest to both pupils and their teachers. It is hoped that
through using this pack pupils will want to carry out further research on some of the topics
discussed. This in turn will encourage them to develop a sense of pride in Galway and make
them proud of their city.
Recommended Assessment Modes and Techniques
Throughout the pack there are class activities for the class to participate in. These activities are
to encourage pupils to develop an interest in the subject matter being addressed. It is hoped
that pupils will be educated by the use of background information and then this knowledge is
tested through classwork, as well as through individual projects. For example, the Galway
Treasure Trail will give pupils the perfect opportunity to see for themselves the places that are
identified throughout the pack. The questions will then test their knowledge and observation
skills. Wherever possible class activities have been designed to incorporate as many other
subjects on the primary school curriculum as possible. These include Geography, Maths, Art,
Gaeilge, etc.
We appreciate the fact that, with the heavy demands of delivering the set curriculum, you
simply may not have the time to cover ALL aspects of this Pack. We would, however, urge you
to use as much as possible, wherever and whenever possible. The spiral-bound design of the
Pack was specifically designed to allow you to include or exclude specific sections for use with
your pupils, as your class timetable allows. We hope that this Pack will be of assistance to you
in the classroom, and be of benefit to the education to the next generation of Galway’s citizens.
The Pack is there to help make a difference to the pupils in their ability to understand and
appreciate their city. We hope you find it useful.
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The Origins
of Galway
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The Founding of Galway
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alway is built on the banks of the River Corrib, a name that derived
from the ancient name, "Lough Orbsen", which changed over time to
its present name, Lough Corrib. There are a number of theories as to
where the name "Galway" originated. The village that existed prior to the
Norman town being built was called Ballinshruane, meaning "the town of the
little streams". There is a tradition that Galway derives its name from the old
Irish word for foreigner, Gall, and that the Norman settlers were called Clanna-Gall, meaning "Foreign Clan". There is also a legend that tells us that the
city takes its name from the river in which a Fir Bolg princess, Galvia, was
drowned. Yet another theory speculates that Galway derived its name from
Gallaeci in Spain, as there was extensive commerce carried out between the
towns. Some contemporary historians believe that the town could have
derived its name from two words, "gall" and "amh", indicating ‘stony river’.
G
In 1124, a fort or castle known as Dún Bun na Gallimhe, was built on the east
bank of the mouth of the River Corrib. Its purpose was to defend the Galway
area against attacks by clansmen from other parts of the country. Just eight
years after it was built, an army from Munster, under the command of
Cormac McCarthy, sailed into Galway Bay. They attacked and destroyed the
fort and then executed the entire garrison. In 1149, Turlough O’Brien, the
King of Munster, attacked and destroyed both the town and fort. In fact this
fort was destroyed and rebuilt on a number of occasions.
In 1169, the first Normans invaded Ireland and many others were to follow,
among them William deBurgo. He set out to capture Connacht and although
being a powerful man, his attempts to control the area failed. However, about
the year 1230, his son Richard arrived on the outskirts of the town we know
today as Galway. Richard De Burgo obviously realised the strategic
importance of the area, as he immediately set about trying to exercise his
power over the vicinity. After eventually gaining control, the Normans began
laying the foundations for the town, which was built on approximately 22
acres. By 1270, the first stone walls had begun to surround the fledgling
town, which required protection from the native Irish, such as the
O’Flahertys and O’Connors. During this period, the first of the merchant
families began arriving in Galway. Fourteen of these families later became
known as the "Tribes of Galway", and we will learn more about these "Tribes"
later. Finance for the building of the streets and city walls was raised
through Royal Charters granted by the King of England, which allowed for
the collection of various taxes on goods such as wine, leather and tallow.
In 1484, through the Royal Charter of King Richard III, the town gained city
status, which meant that the people had the authority to elect a city
corporation and mayor. The Galway merchants became very wealthy through
trade, which is indicated by the ship displayed on the Galway Coat of Arms.
This particular design dates from circa 1578-1661, when Queen Elizabeth I
added the title "Admiral of the Port of Galway" to the mayoral office. Galway
thrived and prospered intermittently from its foundation until the religious
wars of the seventeenth century. Because of these wars the town began to fall
into decline, with many of the old merchant families being forced to leave.
This trend more or less continued in one form or another until the twentieth
century, with relatively high emigration up to the 1960s. Since then there
has been considerable development in Galway, making it one of the fastest
growing cities in Europe. Thankfully, much of the original streetscape has
survived and a section of the city wall may be seen in the Eyre Square
Shopping Centre.
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The City of the Tribes
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alway is famous today as the City of the Tribes. The tribes were
merchant families who became very prosperous and wealthy during
the city’s heyday from the 15th to the 17th centuries. The story of the
tribes can be traced back to the building of a castle in city of Galway by
Richard de Burgo after his capture of the town in 1232. As the de Burgo’s
established their claim over Galway, families descended from the Normans,
who had conquered England in 1066, settled in the town. Fourteen of these
families came to prominence as important merchants and eventually
dominated the city. These families had the following surnames: Athy, Blake,
Bodkin, Browne, D’Arcy, Deane, Ffont, Ffrench, Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch,
Martin, Morris and Skerrett.
G
The merchant families profited from Galway’s important role as a major sea
port with trading connections with France and Spain and later with the New
World (America as we know it today) to build up large fortunes and become
very powerful. In 1484, Richard III, the king of England, granted the
families a charter to rule Galway, exempt from any meddling by the de
Burgos, who by that stage were considered rebellious to the crown. The
charter allowed the inhabitants of Galway to choose one Mayor and two
bailiffs each year. The first Mayor and bailiffs were duly elected on 1st
August, 1485. The town also sought ecclesiastical independence from the
Catholic archbishop of Tuam. The townspeople petitioned the then Pope,
Innocent VIII, in this matter and on 8th February, 1484 a papal bull was
issued. This bull confirmed the transformation of St Nicholas church into a
collegiate, which meant it was ruled over by a warden and eight vicars. The
bull ensured that the English rite and custom was used in St Nicholas church.
Now that it had both civic and ecclesiastical independence, the town was ready
to establish itself as one of the leading trading towns of Ireland, and perhaps
even of the British Isles. The goods in which the town traded included wine,
oil, honey, wool, skin, hides and lead. Wine was by far the most important
commodity traded in Galway. It was imported from France and Spain. It has
been stated that more wine was imported into Galway than into any other port
in Ireland. Galway merchants had stores and vaults as far east as Athboy in
County Meath in order to supply wine to Dublin and Drogheda.
The Tribes considered themselves very different from the surrounding native
population. They passed numerous laws to prevent any inter-mingling with
the native Irish and only English was spoken and used by them in their
written documents. They were very loyal to the English crown and were
rewarded for their loyalty by successive charters by such English monarchs
as Edward IV, Henry VIII, Queen Mary and James I which greatly increased
the powers and prestige of the town. The Tribes only married between
themselves and managed to keep nearly all of the power and wealth in the
town in their hands. Visitors to Galway were impressed by the town’s stately
buildings and the townspeople’s refined manners and way of life.
A visitor to the town in 1614, Sir Oliver St. John, gives the following
description: ‘The town is small but faire, full of statlie buildings, the fronts of
houses towards the street are all of hewed stone uppe to the top, garnished
with fine battlements in a uniform course as if the whole town had been built
upon one modle.’ Note the old English, which is spelt differently from the
English of today.
What was life like for a rich merchant family in Galway in the 16th century
and the early 17th century? We can get an idea from a building such as
Lynch’s Castle. The skills of stonemasons were much in demand, and very
costly, so the more ornate the stonework on a building, the wealthier the
family were judged to be – a case of "showing off" to the neighbours! Inside
you would have found in the 16th century the important members of the
Lynch family gathered around a large, ornate fire place. There they would
discuss business affairs with family members and other merchants. Galway
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is noted for its fine, ornate fireplaces, the keystones of which were also known as Marriage
Stones. The family crests of the families joined together in marriage would be represented in
cut stone above the fire place. There is a very fine example of such a Marriage Stone in the Kings
Head pub in High Street. This carries the coat of arms of the Bodkin, Martin and Ffrench
families, who are 3 of the original 14 Tribes of Galway.
The windows of mediaeval buildings were narrow and at that time windows were composed of
small diamond-shaped panes set in lead. The windows were made in Venice in Italy and were very
expensive. The most important room in the house was the banqueting room where all the major
meals were eaten. At that time people only had a small breakfast – a mug of beer and a slice of
bread – because dinner was eaten in the morning at 11 o’clock. Various kinds of meat and bread
were the chief foods. In the winter time people would eat herrings, eels and salted fish. This would
be particularly true of Galway since it was a sea port. Long spits were used to roast meat, which
were turned by scullion boys. The meat might also by put in an iron container and placed in the
hot ashes. Rich people began to sleep more comfortably at this time and feather mattresses,
pillows and woollen blankets were introduced. The most important article of furniture in the
house was the bed, which had curtains pulled around it during the night, both for privacy and for
warmth – these buildings were extremely cold!
Wealthy merchants like the Lynches wore a long gown of dark, rich material and the wife of the
family also wore simple clothes, unless she was entertaining or going about the town, in which
case only the best finery was worn – silks, velvets and fine lace, all of which had to be imported.
Their servants usually wore blue coloured clothes and their master’s badge was worn in silver on
the arm. It was certainly a very colourful time in Galway’s history!
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14 Tribes of Galway
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• Athy
A well-respected family, and one of the first of the great
Norman families to settle in Galway, they were also one of
the first to build a stone house or castle in the town. The
richly-carved doorway of their townhouse is currently
housed in the Galway City Museum. William de Athy was
appointed treasurer of Connaught in December of 1388.
The family name has all but disappeared in Galway.
• Blake
This family came from Britain. Their name may suggest
that it comes from the translation of Blac, a colour. Yet
another story of their ancestors was told. It is believed that
they are traditionally descended from Ap-lake, one of the
knights of King Arthur’s round table. It is believed that
one of the family came over with Strongbow and built
himself a castle at Menlo. This name is still very much
alive in Galway.
• Bodkin
The Bodkins of Galway and the Earls of Desmond and
Kildare are said to descend from the same common
ancestor, Maurice Fitzgerald. He was one of the first
invaders of Ireland under Strongbow. Tradition says that
their family name was given to them because Thomas Fitz
Richard won a fight against a valiant Irish knight.
During this fight he used a short spear or weapon. The
name of this weapon in Irish was Baudekin and so the
family name was given to him and his family.
• Browne
Philippus de Browne was said to be the first of the family to
arrive in Ireland in 1170. In 1172 he was appointed Governor
of Wexford. He returned to England in 1178 and soon
afterwards returned with sixty knights and was leader at the
siege of Limerick. He had three sons. Walter was the only
one to settle in Galway. The Browne townhouse was
originally located at Abbeygate Street, and the entrance
doorway to the house was subsequently moved and is
currently located at the top of Eyre Square.
• D’Arcy
The Galway family is descended from James Riveagh
D’Arcy who settled in Ireland at the end of the reign of
Elizabeth. It is said that because of his brilliant abilities as
a politician and merchant he soon gained a lot of power
and influence. The name is still found in Galway today.
• Deane
William Allen or Den was the first of this family to settle in
Galway. He originally came from Bristol in Britain during
the reign of Henry VI. Members of the family became
some of the first Mayors and Magistrates of the town.
• Ffont or De Feunte
This family is said to have come to Galway in the
beginning of the fifteenth century. They were originally
from Leicestershire in Britain. They were said to have
established themselves in the town of Athenry as early as
the reign of King John. This name is nearly extinct in
Galway today.
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14 Tribes of Galway
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• Ffrench
This Norman family didn’t settle in Galway immediately.
They first established themselves in Co. Wexford, and in
time spread throughout Ireland. Two families of the name
Ffrench came to Galway. Walter Ffrench came first in
1425 and then Henry Begg Ffrench in the reign of
Elizabeth I.
• Joyes or Joyce
An old Galway family of English descent, Thomas Joyce
was the first of the family to arrive in Ireland with the
Normans. He first arrived in Munster and there he
married and Irish heiress. He then moved to Connaught,
where the Joyces became so well established that they gave
their name to a whole area in Connemara – Joyce Country.
Interestingly, they were known as a race of great stature.
• Kirwan
The family appear to have come to Galway under the reign
of Henry VI. Some people believe the name is more
ancient. It is said that the name was taken from the family
of Kirwiche. This family were said to have been earlier
inhabitants of the town. This could be true as many
changes have taken place in the name Kirwan, such as O’
Quirivan, Kerovan etc, etc. Members of this family are
said to have been well educated in literature and science.
• Lynch
John de Lynch was the first settler of the family in Galway.
This is one of the most ancient and well-known families in
Galway. In 169 years eighty-four members of the family
were mayors in the town.
• Martin
This family settled in Galway early. Oliver Martin was the
first of the name to settle, having come to Ireland with
Strongbow’s army. The name is derived from the word
"Martius" meaning "warlike". One of the most famous of
the Martin clan was Richard "Humanity Dick" Martin, the
founder of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals. Interestingly, "Humanity Dick" was also know
by another nickname – "Hair-trigger" Dick – in reference to
his fondness for duelling! The name is still very common
in Galway today.
• Morris
In 1485 the first of the family came to Galway. The name
was also written as Mares and Morech. Seven members of
this family are said to have served as Mayors and Sheriffs
in the town. Morris was the family name of Lord Killanin,
former President of the International Olympic Committee,
who was a direct descendent of this famous Galway family.
• Skerrett
This is an old and respectable family in Galway. The name
was from a noble English family, who were originally
known as Huscared or Scared. They held land in
Connaught as early as 1242. The name has all but died out
in Galway.
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Speed’s map of Galway city, 1651
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14 Streets of Galway
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he early town of Galway was laid out inside the city walls, which were
erected by the de Burgo family in order to protect the town. Although
almost all of the original city wall is now gone (only a small portion
remains in the present Eyre Square Centre), the original streets, dating from
the 1270s, can still be found, and many retain their original names. It is
interesting to note that along with the 14 Tribes of Galway, there were 14
streets in the original town. These first Galway streets are clearly depicted
in the famous 1651 map of Galway, and if you were to compare this map with
a modern day one, you will see that the layout of the original streets has
changed very little. So when people complain that the streets of Galway’s
city centre are very narrow, you can tell them that this is because they date
from medieval times, when there were no cars or trucks trying to drive
through the town centre!
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The 14 streets shown on the 1651 map were :
1 Kea Street (now Quay Street.)
2 Crosse Street (now Cross Street),
3 Gaol Street (now High Street/Mainguard Street).
4 High Middle Street is (now Shop Street,
5 Great Gate Street (now Williams Street)
6 Little Gate Street (now Upper Abbeygate Street)
7 Skinner’s Street (now Lower Abbeygate Street)
8 Bridge Gate Street (now Bridge Street)
9 North Street (now Market Street)
10. Street Between Two Lanes (now Middle Street)
11. New Tower Street, later Back Street
(now St. Augustine Street)
12. Lombard Street
13. Pludd Street (now Whitehall)
14. Earl Street
We are very fortunate in having practically all of the medieval lay-out of the
original town of Galway still intact, as it gives us some idea of what early
Galway would have looked like, with its narrow streets and tall, cut-stone
buildings. It is this medieval atmosphere which makes Galway unique, and
which is why so many visitors like to visit our city. Our historic streetscapes
are what make our city so special, so it is in all our interests to value and
protect them for future generations.
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Class Activity:
Compare the 1651 map with the map of modern-day Galway on page 27. What new streets
have been added?
Look at the names of the new streets which have been added to the city. Why do you think these
streets were given these names?
Can you pick out any of the following buildings on the 1651 map?
•
Lynch’s Castle
•
De Burgo Castle
•
St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church
•
Can you find the location of modern-day Eyre Square on the map?
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The 14 Lanes of Galway
CIVIC
n his book ‘Old and New Galway’, Peadar O’Dowd tells us that there were
fourteen lanes depicted on the old pictorial map of Galway in 1651. Fourteen
seems to be a number strongly connected with Galway - fourteen tribes,
fourteen streets, fourteen lanes. I wonder why? A lane is defined as a narrow
street. Most of Galway’s lanes are within the city and are very old. There are only
five of the original lanes depicted on the 1651 map still surviving in the medieval
heart of the city. However, there are some lanes which were built after 1651 outside
the old city walls. There are also some in the housing estates on the periphery of
Galway city and there is the odd one in the new estates in the suburbs.
I
How many lanes do you know?
The original 14 lanes were:
1 Blake’s Lane
2 Dark Lane
3 Bodkins Lane
4 Poor Clares Lane
5 Upper Shoemakers Lane
6 Lower Shoemakers Lane – now known as Buttermilk Lane
7 Fishers Lane
8 The Lane between the two Grand Gates
9 Martin’s Mill Lane
10 Kirwan’s Lane
11 Saint John’s Lane
12 Alexander’s Lane
13 Red Earl’s Lane – now known as Druid Lane
14 Crooked Lane – now known as Church Lane
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SURVIVING MEDIEVAL LANES
Buttermilk Lane. It runs from Shop Street to St Augustine Street and was so called because it was
where buttermilk was sold. Buttermilk would be similar to an unflavoured yoghurt drink and was
great for quenching the thirst. At another time this lane was called Shoemaker’s Lane because there
was quite a large leather industry in the area. Legend also has it that Daniel O’Connell once took
lodgings in this lane, and the one surviving medieval window in the lane was said to be the room in
which he stayed!
The Lane between the two Grand Gates. This quaintly-named lane is adjacent to the Spanish Arch
area, with only the north side (which today includes "Cobwebs" antique shop) surviving intact. Only
one solitary house remains today on what would have been the south side of this lane.
Kirwan’s Lane . This lane runs from Cross Street to Quay Street and is named after the Kirwan
family, one of the Tribes of Galway. Kirwan’s Lane was also the location of one of Galway’s earliest
theatres, which was built by Richard Martin for his wife, who was an actress. The famous patriot
Wolfe Tone also acted there.
Druid Lane. The small lane connecting Flood Street and Quay Street was once known as Red Earls
Lane or Bóthar an Iarla. The world famous Druid Theatre Company is located in this lane and it was
renamed Druid Lane in their honour by Galway Corporation to celebrate Druid’s twenty-first
anniversary. One side of the Custom House is also located in Druid Lane and, following an
archaeological dig, it is now possible to see the foundations of the castle of Richard de Burgo, who
was known as the Red Earl, and who is acknowledged as the man who founded the city of Galwaythence Red Earl’s Lane. This lane has undergone many name changes and was also known as
Courthouse Lane, Chapel Lane, Quay Lane and Holland’s Lane.
Church Lane. Originally known as Crooked Lane, this lane formed an "L" shape on the north/eastern
corner of the grounds of the Church of St. Nicholas.
OTHER GALWAY LANES
Many lanes were given names associated with either the main family living in the area, or with
a particular industry or activity that was associated with the area. Here are some examples.
Dogfish Lane. This lane is in the Claddagh and is now known as Priory Road. It runs from the
Claddagh Quay alongside the Dominican Priory to Fairchild Road. It probably takes its name from
the type of fish which was often caught by Claddagh fishermen – a dogfish, so called because the
shape of its head resembled that of a dog!
Frenchville Lane. This lane is opposite the train and bus station and runs parallel to Station Road.
It is probably named after the Ffrench family, who were one of the 14 Tribes of Galway.
Munster Avenue was once known as Munster Lane.
Pump Lane. This lane runs between Henry Street and the Canal walkway from Dominick Street at
Balls Bridge, behind the Roisín Dubh pub. It was so called because a water pump was once installed
there to allow people to draw water from the canal. There was also a forge located in this lane, and
if you go there have a look at the circular stone in the ground. |It has railings around it. This was
originally part of the forge, and is called a ‘shoeing stone’. It was used to make the metal rim for
cartwheels. Also nearby is a set of steps. In the days before washing machines and launderettes, the
women of Galway used to take their clothes to the canal banks to wash them.
Ballalley Lane. This runs from Williamsgate Street to Eyre Square. It was here that Galwegians of
old played ball games against the old town walls, thence the name!
Comers Lane. Probably Galway’s newest lane. This is situated in a cul de sac on the Clybaun Road
in Knocknacarra.
Other Lanes which have existed, or exist still in Galway, are Cabbage Lane, Chestnut Lane, Church
Lane, Rosary Lane, Water Lane
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St. Nicholas’
Collegiate Church
CIVIC
ne of Galway’s finest buildings, this church was first built in 1320 by the
Lynch family, and takes its name from St. Nicholas of Myra, the patron
saint of sailors. It was a common practice for medieval ports who
depended on maritime trade or on the fishing industry to dedicate a church to
this saint. When it was first built it had a small cross plan shape. This structure
was not to stay that way for long. The successful merchant families, or as they
were also known the Tribes of Galway, helped to expand the structure of the
building. It seems that the merchant families were trying to "out do" each other
when it came to extensions on the church. They would build ornate doors,
windows and aisles to show how powerful and successful they were. They would
also have their family Coat of Arms engraved on the exterior of the building. St.
Nicholas’ continued to grow, with the church Tower built around 1500, the large
central west window cutting into the late 15th century doorway dates from 1583,
the spire dates from 1683 and the parapet is a restoration of 1883. Over time St.
Nicholas’ church was to become the second largest
medieval parish church in Ireland.
O
The Church has also changed hands many times. In
1484 the merchants of the town asked Pope Innocent
VIII to release the church from its diocese of
Annaghdown, and for permission to run the church in
the old English ways. The Pope granted their request
and so a Collegiate church was established governed by
a warden and eight vicars, who were elected by the
merchant families. The Reformation in Ireland, brought
about by King Henry VIII, meant that the Church
became a Protestant place of worship. In 1551 King
Edward VI of England transferred it to Protestant
laymen. Two years later the Catholics regained control when Queen Mary came
to the throne. The Protestant Queen Elizabeth I expelled the Catholics from it
again in 1568. In 1643 the Catholics returned for the last time, until they were
ousted by the Cromwellians who took control of the city in 1652. Cromwell and
his followers were strict Puritans, and had so little respect for the Catholic
church that it is said he used the church and its grounds to stable his horses! It
is said that the scratches made by the horses hooves can still be seen on the stone
floors of the Chuch. Cromwell’s men also destroyed many of the tombstones and
beautiful stone mouldings which were such a feature of the Church.
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Apart from the building itself, however, the church’s main claim to fame rests in the local legend that
the famous explorer, Christopher Columbus, has a connection with the church. It is said that he heard
Mass in St. Nicholas’ before setting sail to discover America!
The present day Anglican community of St. Nicholas’ has made great efforts to restore the Church to
its former glory. The church has preserved much of its original medieval character, and today it is a
place of worship and a place for locals, and tourists, to visit and admire.
Class Activity:
•
•
•
Pay a visit to St.Nicholas’Church, and try and find evidence of the damage caused by the
horses during Cromwells’s occupation of the church in 1652.
Try and find the following in the Church:
The leper’s gallery – what do you think this was for?
The tomb of a very famous Lynch Mayor?
Write the story of why he was so famous.
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Marriage Stones
CIVIC
s we have already seen, each of the 14 Tribes of Galway had their own
Coat of Arms. These Coats of Arms were used to identify each of the
families. They were usually carved into stonework on their houses or
places of worship, such as St. Nicholas’ Church. They were a sign of how
successful a family was. Galway is extremely fortunate in having the finest
collection of medieval sculpture in Ireland, and in walking around Galway, and
particularly in the city centre, which was the medieval heart of the city, we are
constantly reminded of the rich heritage in stone which we have inherited.
A
If any type of sculpture could be said to typify Galway, then it is the heraldic
fireplace. The Term "marriage stone" has been applied to some Galwegian
heraldic sculpture, sometimes inappropriately. Not all keystones or lintels
from fireplaces which show coats of arms can be said to celebrate a marriage.
But in many cases when two wealthy merchant families were joined in
marriage a marriage stone was usually carved for the couple. This was to
symbolise the joining of the two families. The man’s coat of arms would appear
on the left hand-side while the woman’s would appear on the right hand side.
These type of stones usually formed the keystone of the fireplace, as can be
clearly seen from the examples below. They would also have a date inscribed on
the stone – this date usually, but not always, referred to the year of the
marriage. In some cases the date could also represent the year of construction
of the building, or the year in which an extension to the building was built.
Sometimes a fireplace bears the arms of only one person. More commonly
there are two coats of arms which are often impaled in a single shield,
although they sometimes occur on separate shields.
There are many examples of stone carvings of family coats of arms on many
structures in Galway. Why not try to find as many as you can?
The Galway coat of arms which can be seen at Galway City Museum.
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Class Activity:
•
Below there are some drawings of marriage stones. Can you identify the families
involved from their coats of arms? Look closely at the previous section on the Tribes of
Galway to see which coat of arms refers to which family.
•
Why not become a detective, and follow the Galway Treasure Trail on page 35?
Two examples of Galway city marriage stones.
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A Tale of Two Buildings
CIVIC
Lynch’s Castle and
The Custom House/
de Burgo’s Castle
alway is famous for the quality of its cut-stone buildings, many of
which date from medieval times. The famous 1651 map of Galway
shows a well laid out city, full of fine buildings, many of which were
three and sometimes four storey high tower houses. These buildings would
have been the homes of the wealthy and influential 14 Tribes of Galway, who
effectively ran Galway, both politically and economically. Many of the
buildings which we see in Galway today date from medieval times, but it is
difficult to make this out as their appearances have often been changed, and
the original cut-stone facades have been covered in plaster.
G
It can take a bit of "detective work" to figure out whether a building dates
from the 14th – 17th centuries. The first thing you should note is the
thickness of the walls. Medieval buildings often have walls which can be up
to 2ft. / 0.6m thick, and this will be particularly noticeable at the doorway
and windows.
Also, medieval buildings generally have entrance doorways which are quite
low – this is because medieval people were a lot shorter than we are! If the
doorway is both low and arched at the top, then it almost certainly is an
original medieval doorway. Medieval buildings also have smaller windows
than we are used to today, as glass was expensive, and there was a tax on
the number of windows which you had in your building!
Another good piece of advice in examining a building is to LOOK UP. Very
often you will see examples of carved stone – merchant’s marks, marriage
stones, corbels, embrasures, stone water drains, and other examples of
stone fragments on the facades of buildings. These will be a good clue as to
whether the building really does date from medieval times.
Many of the medieval buildings surviving today are in private ownership or
are currently being used as business premises. However, two examples of
buildings which are more accessible to the public are Lynch’s Castle and the
Custom House, which was the original site of the de Burgo castle, home of
the family which founded the city of Galway. Your teacher may be able to
arrange a visit to these buildings, or you can visit them yourself.
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The deBurgo Castle
CIVIC
he present Custom House on Flood Street houses the remains of
perhaps the earliest great stone structure built in Galway. This was
the de Burgo castle, built by Richard de Burgo, the man who
founded the city of Galway in 1235. All that remains of this 13th century
castle is the Great Hall, which is the oldest building to be excavated within
the medieval wall of Galway. The de Burgo hall was in use until the 15th
or 16th century when it became the ruin we see on the 1651 map of Galway,
(see below) which shows the great hall with no roof. When the building
was in use, it would have been used by the de Burgos as a banqueting hall,
and as a place for this powerful family to collect taxes and dues, and to
dispense justice.
T
After 1651 the great hall continued to fall into ruin, and sometime in the
1700s the old County Courthouse was built on the site – so justice was again
exercised here until about 1820.
From 1822 it appears that the Office of the Revenue (Customs) leased the old
County Courthouse for use as a revenue warehouse for spirits and tobacco.
The building was then known as the Custom House. That building existed
until 1940 when the buildings on the site were demolished and the new
Custom House which we see today was built.
It was only in 1998 when work began on an extension to the present Custom
House that the remains of the original de Burgo hall were discovered.
Thankfully, this important archaeological remnant of the city’s past is on
public display, and you can visit the ruins of the hall in Flood Street. When
you do so, remember that this was probably the first major building ever to be
built in Galway. What you are seeing is the very beginnings of our great city.
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Class Activity:
•
Ask your teacher to organise a visit to the de Burgo Hall in Flood Street. Gather as
much information about the Hall as you can.
•
Using the drawing of the Great Hall as a guide, try to build a model of the Great Hall.
•
Imagine you are a Norman knight, paying a visit to the Great Hall of the de Burgo
Castle. Explain why you are there, and describe what the Hall is like.
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Lynch’s Castle
CIVIC
ynch’s Castle isn’t actually a castle, as its name would suggest. In
fact it is a town-castle or tower house. It is one of the oldest
buildings in the city, and is situated at the junction of Abbeygate
Street and Shop Street. You may recognise it as the AIB bank on Shop
Street. It was originally built for one of Galway’s leading merchant families,
the Lynchs, who were one of the famous 14 Tribes of Galway. Between 1484
and 1654 eighty-four members of the Lynch family held the position of
Mayor in the city, and many of these would have lived in the castle.
L
We cannot put an exact date on when it was built as there were
so many extensions added on to it over the centuries, but it is
believed to date from the 15th century. The building is four
stories high and was built in stone, but the first roof was
probably made from thatch. The building was badly damaged
in the great fire of 1473. It was then re-built between the years
1493 and 1503. When Cromwell attacked the city in 1652 it is
believed that the castle was damaged again. Lynch’s Castle
survived, and today it is classed as the finest town-castle in
Ireland. It was never vacated but was in continuous use for half
a millennium. At the beginning of the 19th century, the castle
was extended on the Shop Street side, and at the start of the 20th century it
was in use as a chandlers shop which sold candles! It was taken over in 1930
by the Munster and Leinster Bank, which later became Allied Irish Banks,
and the bank undertook a major conservation project on the building.
The outside of the building has many fine examples of stone carvings. The
walls have the Lynch family coat of arms, the arms of Henry VII and the
arms of the Earl of Kildare. They also have their merchants mark carved
Above: The Lynch Arms, Lynch’s Castle.
Below: Merchant’s Mark on a window of
Lynch’s Castle.
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in stone. As we have seen, wealthy merchant families decorated their homes with carved stone
as an indication of their power and wealth, and the wonderful decoration on the exterior of
Lynch’s Castle tells us that this was a very wealthy family indeed!
One example of this carved stone also throws up an interesting story about the building.
Directly above the west doorway of the building there is a sculpture of an ape who is holding a
child – this is said to have derived from a legend that when a fire broke out in the castle, perhaps
the one of 1473, an ape, who was kept as a pet by the family, rescued a child from its cradle,
where it was in danger from the fire. The ape then brought the child to the top of the castle
from where it was then brought to safety. If it is true, it is a very exciting story and shows how
rich Galway merchants kept exotic animals as pets at that time.
If you enter Lynch’s Castle from Shop Street today the first room you encounter is called the
vestibule where information and illustrations of the castle are on display. It is thought that this
room formed the basis for the original castle or keep. A very interesting feature inside the
vestibule is a fireplace dating from 1629. This is called a bridal fireplace and commemorates the
marriage in 1629 between the Blake and Ffrench families. The initials R.B. and I. or J. F.
represent the two families and above these is the religious emblem I.H.S. with a cross on top.
The fireplace was found in the building to the rear of the Castle during renovations.
Another feature of the castle are the gargoyles, which peer out from the top of the building.
Similar gargoyles are to be found on St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church. Some of the gargoyles
are fairly plainly carved while others are sculpted to look like animal heads. Originally the
gargoyles were intended to take water from the roof away from the building but this is no
longer the case.
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The Story of
Lynch’s Window
CIVIC
he story behind Lynch’s Window is one of the most famous legends about
Galway. James Lynch Fitz-Stephens was elected Mayor of Galway in 1493.
He had a great trading connection with Spain and on one occasion took a
trip over there. When he reached Spain he was welcomed by a rich merchant
named Gomez. While he was there he was treated extremely well. On his return
to Ireland, he wanted to show his appreciation to Gomez for all his generosity. He
asked if he could bring Gomez’s nineteen-year-old only son back to Galway with
him. He promised to take good care of him and to treat him like one of his own.
Gomez granted his request. So James and young Gomez set sail for Ireland.
T
When they reached Galway, Gomez was introduced to the people of Galway and
was welcomed by all. James particularly wanted Gomez to befriend his only
son, Walter, as he thought that Gomez would have a good influence on him.
The two boys lived side by side and got on well together and they attended
many functions in the town. At that time Walter was falling in love with a
young woman who was a daughter to one of the richest and most respected
families in the town. While attending a function in the town Walter thought
that he saw his young lady showing too much attention to young Gomez.
Walter became extremely jealous, and accused her of seeing the Spaniard
behind his back. The young lady was furious that he should accuse her in the
wrong, and instead of reassuring him that these accusations were not true, she
didn’t say anything.
The following night Walter was passing the young lady’s house when he
noticed a man, whom he recognised as Gomez, leaving the house. Walter
thought that Gomez was there seeing his young lady, but that was not the case.
The father of the house had invited Gomez over to talk to him because he was
fluent in Spanish. The sight of Gomez leaving the house enraged Walter and so
he started to follow him in the shadows. Gomez didn’t know the streets of the
town very well and soon he was lost. He had followed a street that lead to a quiet
part of town beside the water. It was here that Walter jumped in front of him
and stabbed him in the heart. His body was then thrown into the water and he
was left to die.
As soon as Walter realised what he had done he was sorry. He didn’t know what
to do next. He ran and hid in the nearby woods. The Spaniard’s body was
discovered the next morning. The Mayor and some of his men set out to find
the murderer. As Walter awoke he decided to hand himself over to the law, but
as he was about to get up he noticed a group of men on horseback approaching.
He immediately recognised his father. As they approached, they saw Walters
knife beside him and noted his untidy appearance. They guessed that he was
the murderer they were looking for. He confessed straight away. His father
was very upset and so the guards took him and lead him back to the town.
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As Mayor, James Lynch Fitz-Stephens had power over life and death. What was he to do in a
situation like this? Walter was his only son, his pride and joy. He remembered in another case
he had used his authority with rigid severity and he knew that he would have to do the same in
this case. On their return to the town people were amazed at the sight of Walter having been
arrested and accused of murder. This was an unusual situation - a father sitting in judgement
of his only son. In the trial that followed Walter was found guilty of murder, the sentence for
which was death by hanging. However, Walter was such a popular young man, that no-one in the
town was prepared to act as his executioner.
The people of the town thought that mercy would be granted to the prisoner but they were
wrong. James went to his sons cell to tell him that his execution would take place the following
day. James was also to spend the last night of his son’s life watching over him in case he tried
to escape. Nobody will ever know what it was like for them that night. The next day a large
crowd had gathered to witness the execution. Walter was lead in front of the crowd. His father
followed him. James gave his son a final hug and said goodbye forever and threw his son out
the window to hang by a rope. It is said that the James was so distressed by having to execute
his only son that he never left the house again. The window where this act supposedly took place
stands to this day in Market Street. Underneath the window there is a carving of a skull and
cross bones to mark this famous Galway legend.
The Lynch Window, Market Street.
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Galway Placenames
CIVIC
H
ave you ever wondered why some places are named as they are? The
origins of some place or street names are obvious – such as Shop Street
or Quay Street - but do you know why Grattan Road is so called or
why Eyre Square or Renmore or Lough Atalia are named as they are? Many of
our placenames come from the Irish language. It is interesting that Galway
City Council favours a policy of naming new roads and estates in the Irish
language, as Irish names often have their origins in the history or landscape
features of a particular area. It can be very interesting to do some
investigating to find out the meaning or reason behind a street or place name.
Firstly, the name GALWAY itself. The city got its name from the fact that among
the ancient Irish, foreigners were call "na Gall". The Irish name for Galway –
"Gaillimh" - means "the place of foreigners".
Another legend tells of a Gaelic princess who drowned in the River Corrib and after
whom the city is named – her name was "Galvia".
The area we now know as Eyre Square existed in mediaeval times as an open green
area in front of the city gates, known as "the greene". It has had several names over
the years. In Irish it was,and still is, referred to as "An Fhaiche Mhór" which means
"The Big Field", . It was called Meyrick Square in the early 1800s and although the
land was given to the Corporation of Galway in 1710 by Edward Eyre, who was
then Mayor of Galway, it was not until the 1820s that it was first referred to as
"Eyre Square". Its official name since 1963 is the John F. Kennedy Park, in honour
of the former American President who was named a Freeman of the City when he
visited Galway in 1963.
Lough Atalia got its name from the Irish, "Loch an tSáile" meaning "the
salt-water lake".
Dún na Mara (which means "the sea fort") takes its name from Cromwell’s Fort, a
star-shaped fort near Renmore Barracks which was built during Cromwell’s siege
of the city of Galway in 1653. Renmore itself is so called because in Irish, "Rinn
Mór" means "Great Headland".
Bohermore takes its name from the Irish "Bothar Mór", which simply means "Big
(or great) Road, since originally this was the major road which linked Galway with
the eastern part of the county.
Tirellan comes from the Irish "Tír Oileán" which means "land of the island", since
this part of the city was originally an island surrounded by various streams.
Shantalla comes from the Irish "an tSean Talamh" or "the old ground (or land)", and
this refers to the fact that this was one of the earliest parts of the city to be inhabited.
Knocknacarra comes from the Irish "Cnoc Na Cathrach" or "the city’s hill". This
referred to the fact that the original area was located on a hill overlooking the city
as it was then.
Rahoon takes its name from the Irish "Rath Eoin", which means "Eoin’s Fort". This
refers to the fact that there was originally an iron age fort on this site, which was
named after the Gaelic chieftain who built it - who was called Eoin! All traces of
the fort have sadly now disappeared.
Do you know why the road around the Cathedral is known as "Gaol Road"? The
Cathedral is built on the site of the old Galway jail. "Gaol" is the original spelling of
the word "Jail"!
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Class Activity:
What is the Irish form of the placename of the area in which you live? Does this tell you
anything about the history or geography of the area?
Try and find out the origins of the following placenames:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Moneenageisha
Ely Place
Grealishtown
Ballyloughaun
Coole Park
Liosban Industrial estate
Whitestrand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pollnarooma
Shangort Road
Fort Lorenzo
Raven Terrace
Raleigh Road
Revagh road
Threadneedle Road
•
•
•
•
•
Rahoon
Rosary Lane
San Antonio Terrace
Beattystown
Grealishtown
Sometimes roads are named after famous people. See what you can find out about the
following people after whom roads were named:
•
•
•
Seamus Quirke Road
Sean Mulvoy Road
Liam Mellowes Road
•
•
•
Fr. Griffin Road
Fr. Burke Road
Dr. Mannix Road
•
•
•
Dr. Colohan Road
Bishop O’Donnell
Cardinal Cushing
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The Claddagh
CIVIC
he Claddagh is one of the oldest fishing villages in Ireland. Its name
originates from the Irish "An Cladach", which means a flat stony
shore. This area was the main settlement area until the fort was built
on the other side of the river. The people who lived in the village were native
Irish who spoke the Irish language and had no allegiance to the throne of
England. The people who lived in the town across the river were AngloNormans who had an allegiance to the throne of England. The natives of the
Claddagh had their own laws and customs. They even elected their own King.
This custom died out in 1972 when Martin Oliver, the last "King of the
Claddagh" died. The King made the laws in the village and everyone
respected and obeyed him.
T
The main industry of the village was fishing.
The men went out and caught the fish, while
the women sold it at the Fishmarket, which
was located at the area we know as the Spanish
Arch.
Although nets were used by the
Claddagh fishermen, the fish were originally
caught by a method known as "long-lining",
which meant that long lines of baited hooks
were drawn through the water, and individual
fish were caught when they went for the bait
on each hook. It was the job of the women and
children in the village to put the bait on the
hooks. Because of this method of fishing, the
boats which the fishermen used became known
as "Hookers", and the Claddagh Hookers, or
Galway Hookers as they are also known, are
now one of the best known symbols of Galway. Galway Hookers were built of
oak frames and larch planking, and their hulls were painted black, with
usually a white, or other brightly painted stripe, running along the side. Each
boat had three red, rust or brown-coloured sails, and the sails were this
colour because the fishermen painted their sails with a solution that was made
from tree bark. This solution made the sails stiffer and more waterproof,
which made them perform better. The sails were painted with this reddishcoloured solution every year – known as "barking the sails" and the more
times the sails were painted, the darker the colour became, from bright red,
to rust, to dark brown. This is the origin of the lovely red and brown sails of
the famous Claddagh Hookers.
It was always the tradition that the King of the Claddagh was distinguished
from the others by the white sails on his boat – the other fishermen having
the usual red or brown sails on their Claddagh Hookers.
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The Claddagh village was made up of small thatched cottages. At one stage five hundred families
lived in four hundred and sixty eight cottages. The fishing industry eventually declined and the
village slowly declined with it. More and more young people left to find work elsewhere in the
town of Galway or abroad. Disaster struck the village in 1927 when Tuberculosis broke out and
spread quickly throughout the community. The village was declared a health hazard, and all the
residents were moved from their houses and re-housed in other areas. Demolition of the houses
began, and the last of the houses were destroyed by 1934. Modern houses were put in their place,
but the unique atmosphere of the village seemed to disappear with the cottages.
There are many customs associated with the Claddagh. In medieval times Claddagh fishermen were
allowed the "first pick" of the food in the town so that they could spend more time fishing rather
than shopping for household goods! They also believed that a man from the Claddagh should not
hold in his hand a spade, a plough or any such instrument. If they were found to do this they would
be banished from the village! They also celebrated the eve of St. John’s day (23rd June). For this
celebration they would march through the streets with a pole. Attached to the end of the pole would
be a bundle of reeds. These would then be lit from various bonfires around the area. This was also
the night that they elected their King.
Another law of the Claddagh was that they had sole rights to fish in the bay. If another person or
boat was discovered fishing in the bay, the Claddagh fishermen claimed the right to destroy their
nets - or even worse, their boat! Every year the Claddagh fishermen would have their boats blessed
by a priest, in a ceremony known as "The blessing of the boats". This tradition is still alive today,
and takes place each July.
Class Activity:
•
Why not ask you grandparents or neighbours if they known of any other old stories
about Galway or any superstitions? Why not collect them all together and form a small
booklet for everyone to read?
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The Claddagh Village
CIVIC
CIVIC
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Drawn by Peadar O’Dowd.
Class Activity:
•
Look at the layout of houses in the
Claddagh village, before it was demolished.
Could you draw a map of your street, and
list the families which live in each house?
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The Claddagh Ring
CIVIC
he Claddagh ring is one of the symbols most associated with Galway.
The Claddagh ring depicts a heart, with a crown on it, being clasped by
two hands. The ring originally symbolised the trust or pending
engagement between two people. According to tradition an engaged person
would wear the Claddagh ring with the crown towards the knuckle and that
a married person would wear the ring with the crown facing towards the nail.
These rings have been associated with the Claddagh since the beginning of
the eighteenth century. It is believed that mothers handed down their ring to
their daughters for many generations. The origins of the ring are not are
unclear, but as there are examples of similar "friendship" rings coming from
Europe – especially Italy. It is possible the ring came to Galway as a
consequence of trade.
T
Class Activity:
•
•
Try to draw your own Claddagh Ring.
Collect as many pictures of different Claddagh Rings as you can.
Note how different their designs can be although the basic design is
the same.
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Wordsearch 1
CIVIC
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Find these words in the puzzle above.
Church
Heritage
Lynchs Castle
Eyre Square
Sword
Mace
Fort
Claddagh
Culture
Street
Arch
Hooker
City Wall
Tribe
Town Hall
Civic
Trust
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Did you Know…?
CIVIC
1 GALWAY : The city got its name from the fact that among the ancient Irish
foreigners were call "na Gall". The Irish name for Galway – "Gaillimh" - means
"the place of foreigners". Another legend tells of a Gaelic princess who drowned
in the River Corrib and after whom the city is named – her named was "Galvia".
2 City Wall: Building began on a wall to enclose the city of Galway in 1270, and
work on the wall continued for the next 400 years! The building of the walls was
paid for by the introduction of Murage Charters, a form of custom tax. The taxes
collected were used to pay masons, carpenters etc., and because Galway was such
a prosperous merchant town, large sums of money were collected. This meant
that by the 17th century Galway was one of the best defended cities in Ireland. A
small section of the old mediaeval City Wall of Galway is to be seen in the Eyre
Square Shopping Centre This wall includes two of the original defensive Towers
which formed part of the wall – Penrice’s Tower at the northern end and the
Shoemaker’s Tower at the other end, where the underground section of the 1647
bastion can also be seen.
3 Quincentennial Fountain, Eyre Square The fountain was erected in 1984 to
commemorate the 500th anniversary of the incorporation of Galway City as a
Borough with Mayoral status. The rusting sails symbolize the sails of the
Claddagh fishing fleet – the famous Galway Hookers – and it celebrates the
importance of the sea and maritime trade in the development of the city.
4 The Ó Conaire Statue, Eyre Square Albert Power’s statue of Pádraic Ó Conaire
(1882-1928) is Galway’s best-loved public statue. It shows the city’s pioneer writer
of modern Irish in his favourite pose, sitting on a limestone wall writing.
5 City of the Tribes Galway has been known since Mediaeval times as the "City of
the Tribes", which refers to the 14 families, or Tribes, who dominated the
commercial life of the city for centuries. The fourteen tribes were: Athy, Blake,
Bodkin, Browne, D’Arcy, Deane, Ffont, Ffrench, Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch, Martin,
Morris, Skerrett.
6 Crimean War Canon, Eyre Square Two 19th century iron canons brought back
from the Crimean War 1854-56 by the local regiment – The Connaught Rangers.
7 Browne Doorway, Eyre Square Dated 1627, this is a fine example of a rich
merchants mediaeval doorway. It was once the entrance to the Browne mansion in
Abbeygate Street. It was moved to this site in 1904 by the Galway Archaeological
and Historical Society, when the original building had become a ruin.
8 Spanish Arch These two arches are the remains of the 1584 extension of the city
walls and were built on one of the stonecut piers of Galway’s mediaeval harbour.
The corbelled upper portion of the rear of the arches makes it one of the finest
examples of mediaeval walling in Ireland. It takes its name from the Spanish
merchant sailors, who came ashore at this point.
9 Fishery Watchtower This striking three-storey building, opposite Jury’s Inn
at Wolfe Tone Bridge, was built in 1853 by the Galway Fishery, and was used
to monitor fish stocks in the river – and also to keep an eye out for the
activity of poachers!
10 Blakes Castle, Quay Street Originally a town-castle of the Blake family, one of
Galway’s 14 Tribes, and now housing KC Blakes restaurant, the building served
as the City jail of Galway from1686-1810.
11 Nora Barnacle Museum Located at No. 8 Bowling Green, this tiny house was the
home of Nora Barnacle, wife of the writer James Joyce. Joyce stayed in the house
in 1909 and 1912 and wrote some poems and articles about the people of Galway.
12 King’s Head Pub Legend tells of this pub getting its name because the original
owner, a Richard Gunning, was given the building in payment for his part as the
executioner of King Charles I. Recent research has given a new twist to this
legend, and discovered that a former owner and former mayor of Galway, Col. Peter
Stubbers, was most likely the actual executioner of Charles I. So it was the case of
right legend – wrong man!
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13. Tigh Neachtain, Cross Street. Former home of the Martin family, this late
mediaeval building boasts an exceptionally fine oriel window dating from the
18th century. It was also the home of Richard Martin (1754 – 1834), best known
as "Humanity Dick" Martin, whose campaign for the better treatment of animals
led to him founding the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Much of the earliest legislation related to the protection of animals came about
because of his efforts.
20 Things you should Know
about Galway…
CIVIC
14 Kirwan’s Lane Galway’s most important mediaeval lane, contains the remains of
the "Slate Nunnery", an ancient building presented to the Dominican nuns in
1686 by John Kirwan (now Busker Browne’s pub). Further down the lane is the
remains of the little theatre founded in the late 18th century by Richard
"Humanity Dick" Martin, and the famous Irish patriot, Wolfe Tone, once
performed there.
15 Galway Cathedral The cathedral was opened in 1965, and is erected on the site
of the old Galway Jail. Constructed in Galway limestone taken from quarries
near the city, and with the floors paved in green Connemara marble, it is one of
Europe’s last great cathedrals to be constructed in stone.
16 Terryland Castle Perhaps Galway’s most famous ruin, this was the country
home, outside the city walls, of the de Burgo family, founding fathers of Galway
city. Their townhouse was the de Burgo castle in Flood Street, located where the
Custom House is today. Terryland Castle was burnt in 1691 by retreating
defenders during the Williamite siege of Galway.
17 Galway Races Records of organised race meetings in Co. Galway go back to the
middle of the 19th century. According to local tradition, steeplechase races were
run annually at Kiltulla, east of Ballybrit for many years prior to 1868, when
due to flooding of the course, the races were transferred to Bushfield, beyond
Oranmore. These were the forerunners of the Galway Races. The first race was
held at the Ballybrit course on Tuesday August 17th 1869, when 50,000 people
showed up. It is reported that the park in Eyre Square was used as a camping
site to accomodate the huge crowds that arrived for the occasion! The Races are
now a week-long event in July, with another meeting in September.
18. Galway Bay The most famous song ever written about Galway was the song
"Galway Bay", written by Dr. Arthur Colohan. The song has been recorded
by many singers, but it’s best known version was recorded by Bing Crosby.
The song begins:
"If you ever go across the sea to Ireland
Then maybe at the closing of the day,
You can sit and watch the moon rise over Claddagh,
And watch the sun go down on Galway Bay."
Why not ask your teacher to teach it to you?
19 Salthill Prom and Kicking Wall The Promenade in Salthill is Ireland’s longest
seaside promenade walk. It has long been the tradition that one finished the
walk at the Blackrock end, and "kicked the wall", to signify completion of the
walk. No-one knows how this tradition originated, but it is now an established
part of the folklife of Galway! So next time you see someone "kicking the wall"
at Blackrock, you’ll know why!
20 The Galway Shawl The Galway Shawl was traditionally a fine wool shawl worn
by the women of the Claddagh as a warm wrap. These shawls were worn by
Galway women from the 1800s to the 1950s and the average price in the 1930s
was £3 - £5 – compared to £500 today! So prized were the shawls that it was not
uncommon for shawls to be returned to the makers to be cleaned and re-fringed,
as the custom was to hand the shawl down to the eldest daughter as a family
heirloom. Another famous song written about Galway celebrates the simple
beauty of "The Galway Shawl" – and the women who wore them!:
She wore no jewels, no costly diamonds,
No paint nor powder, no none at all,
But she wore a bonnet, with a ribbon on it
And round her shoulders was the Galway Shawl.
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Galway Treasure Trail
CIVIC
Begin the Treasure Trail at Eyre Square.
1
When did John F. Kennedy become a freeman of Galway Borough?
2
What does the sculpture symbolise in the fountain?
3
Name the famous writer depicted in the sculpture located at Eyre Square.
4
In what year was Browne’s doorway built, and for whom?
5
What is the name of the Tower which forms part of the old City Wall in the Eyre
Square Shopping Centre?
6
A famous Irish writer once worked at the G.P.O. Who was he?
7
What is the date on the map in Lynch’s Castle?
8
Whose coat of arms are depicted on the fireplace in Lynch’s Castle?
9
A royal Pub in High Street was established in what year?
10
What is the date on the fireplace just inside the door of this pub?
11
What building in Middle Street was established in "AD 1838"?
12
In what year was St. Nicholas’ Church established?
13
What does the plaque on Lynch’s Window say?
14
The wife of a famous author lived in No. 8 Bowling Green. Who was she, and
what was the name of her famous husband?
15
In Quay Street you’ll find a restaurant that used to be a jail! What was the
original building called?
16
What is the Irish name of the "Spanish Arch"?
17
Near the Spanish Arch you’ll find a sculpture dedicated to a famous explorer.
Name him?
18
If you look through the bars of the archway beside the Spanish Arch you can
see a fireplace. Who’s coat of arms are found on it?
19
Can you find a medieval building with an arched doorway on Flood Street?
What is the building currently used for?
20
Find a three-storey tower across the river. What is the date above the door?
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It’s my City
it’s my
Community
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It’s my City it’s my Community
CIVIC
e all live in a community of some sort – be it your family,
neighbourhood, school, or Galway city itself. We inter-relate with
others every day, and in working together we learn to co-operate
and develop a sense of belonging and a sense of identity – How do I fit in,
and what role do I have to play? One thing is certain – if you live in Galway
then you are a citizen of Galway. But what does being a citizen of Galway
mean? It means many things, but first and foremost it means that every
adult and every child who live in the city has rights, duties and
responsibilities. These include
W
•
•
•
The right to live in a clean, safe environment
A duty to abide by the laws of the city
Responsibility for our own actions – in other words that what we do
does not harm or inconvenience anyone else living in the city
It is up to each of us to decide whether we take our duties as citizens
seriously or whether we ignore them. It is worth remembering that our
city’s greatest strength is her people, and the more of her citizens take their
duties, rights and responsibilities seriously the finer a city Galway will
become. There is an old Irish saying that says "Ní neart go cur le chéile",
which means "There is no strength without co-operation". It is worth
remembering this phrase when you have to decide the kind of citizen of
Galway that YOU wish to become.
Working and living together can sometimes mean coming into conflict with
others. It is in all our interests to work out these conflicts in the right way
– a way which takes the rights and opinions of every individual into
account . If we do this then it is more likely that the decisions taken will be
in keeping with and best serve the interests of the majority of people. In
other words, that conflicts are resolved and decisions made in a
DEMOCRATIC manner.
WHAT IS DEMOCRACY?
DEMOCRACY is all about
FAIRNESS
EQUALITY
PARTICIPATION
It is about the right of EVERY individual to have a say in how his/her city
or country is run. Every Irish citizen over the age of 18 has the right vote
in both local and national elections. This is a right we should not take for
granted – millions of people have fought (and many thousands died) for the
right to have a vote in the past. There are still countries in the world where
people do not have this basic right. Women only got the right to vote in
Ireland in 1922! Before then only men could vote!!
The Sword (1610) and Mace (1711) of Galway. These mayoral
insignia are carried during important municipal occasions.
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Democracy at Work How Galway is Run
CIVIC
Galway City Council (formerly Galway Corporation) is made up of 15
Councillors and Aldermen, who are elected by the population of Galway City
every six years. The Chairman of the City Council is the Mayor of Galway,
who is Galway’s First Citizen, and in Galway takes precedence over all other
public representatives – including the President of Ireland!
Galway city is divided up into a number of electoral districts called WARDS. The
map on the next page will show you the area which the different Wards cover.
• In which of the electoral Wards do you live?
• Do you know which Councillors/Aldermen represent your Ward on the
City Council?
At NATIONAL level, Galway is represented in the Dáil (Ireland’s parliament)
by a number of T.D.s and in the Seanad by a number of Senators.
• Do you know which T.D.s currently represent Galway City in the Dáil?
Before any election, an election campaign is fought by each of the
candidates, who have to convince the electorate (i.e. the people who are
entitled to a vote) that THEY are the people who should get your vote, based
on their policies, past record, the political party you support etc. Elections
usually involve election posters and fliers, door-to-door canvassing by the
candidates and political broadcasts on radio or television. Door-to-door
canvassing means we get to meet our politicians face to face. It’s a great
opportunity to tell them what you think, ask them questions about their
policies, and let them know about the things that matter to you. So the next
time there is an election, make sure you let the politicians know what you
think – you may not have a vote yet, but you will when you are 18!
The voting system used in Ireland is known as PROPORTIONAL
REPRESENTATION (or PR as it is more commonly known). How does this
work?
•
On the day of an election. each voter is handed a ballot paper
•
Listed on the ballot paper are ALL the candidates going for election.
•
The voter marks the ballot paper by writing a "1" beside the person who
is their first choice to be elected (known as their FIRST PREFERENCE),
•
They then write 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. beside the other candidates they wish to
give a vote to, in order of their preference.
•
When the votes are counted, the First Preference votes are counted first,
and the person with the highest number of First Preferences is elected,
provided they have reached the QUOTA – this is the minimum number
of votes which a candidate needs to receive in order to be elected.
•
The second count then takes into account the second, third and fourth
preference votes, with votes coming from the candidate who has already
been elected to other candidates by a process know as "Transfers".
•
Candidates are then ranked in order of the number of votes they
received, and they will be elected once they have reached the quota.
Other candidates will be eliminated.
•
If there is a tie in the number of votes, or there is a dispute over the
result, then a "Re-Count" is called, when all the votes are counted and
checked again.
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Class Activity:
Why not hold an election of your own? Your class has to decide on which of three football teams
is the best, or which pop group is the best. Three candidates stand for election. They each have
to convince the class to vote for his/her team or pop group. They have to draw up an election
poster, and canvass for votes.
Prepare a ballot paper which lists all the candidates, and hold the election – make sure that each
person only votes ONCE! Appoint someone (it could be your teacher) to be the official
enumerator (the person who counts the votes). When all the votes have been counted, announce
the election results.
Galway electoral wards.
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Democracy & You
CIVIC
As we’ve seen, democracy is not just about electing politicians to positions
of power. It ‘s also about reaching group decisions through concensus –
another word for "agreement". This may be in your family (what television
programme will we watch, what should we have for dinner?) in your
classroom, or in local organisations within your community.
You may think that you are only one person, but your opinion does count.
This means that the more often you express your opinions the more impact
you can have – if you do it in the right way.
HOW CAN I PLAY MY PART?
• Don’t be afraid to make a
contribution – no matter how
unimportant you think what you
say or do might be.
• Try to make decision through
consultation and concensus, e.g.
making class decisions.
Galway delegates at Dáil na nÓg, 2002.
• Take particular responsibilities
in class or in local organisations
– offer to take the minutes of a
meeting, write a letter, find out
specific information etc. Don’t
leave it to someone else – take
the initiative!
•
If you’re a member of a club or association, play your part in making the
rules of that organisation, and ensuring that people abide by them.
•
Respect the views of others, even though you may not always agree
with them!
•
Be inclusive – don’t leave people out, either intentionally or
unintentionally, because of their age, sex, where they come from, or any
physical or mental disability that they may have.
•
Resolve conflicts in appropriate ways. You may not always like the
outcome, but if the consultation process has been open and fair, and it
has been agreed to abide by a majority decision, then you must accept
the outcome.
•
Recognise and understand the role of the individual and various groups
in the community. People go to a lot of trouble to participate in the
activities of their communities. They deserve our support and thanks,
not our criticism!
•
Work together for a common cause – it may be to fundraise enough
money to buy a new set of sports gear for your team, or persuading a
Government Minister to provide funding for a bird sanctuary in your
area. No matter how big or small the project is, achieving a goal
through co-operation with others is extremely satisfying! Remember the
phrase "Ní neart go cur le chéile". Why not try it?
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Wordsearch 2
CIVIC
V
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P
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Find these words in the puzzle above.
Democracy
Citizen
Elect
City
Dail
Vote
Candidate
Politician
Ballot
Senator
Ward
Seanad
Mayor
Council
President
Community
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How good
a Citizen are you?
CIVIC
What Would You Do In These Situations?
If you are walking down the street and you see a purse or wallet on the
street, what do you do?
A. Pass by and don’t do anything.
B. Take whatever you want out of it and dump it in the nearest bin.
C. Bring it to the nearest Garda station.
What do you do if you see an accident ?
A. Ring 999 and try and help as much as you can.
B. Walk by and keep looking to see if anything good is happening.
C. Just stand there and wait for somebody else to do something.
What do you do if you see somebody
spraying graffiti on a wall?
A. Walk by and pretend you don’t see, after
all it’s not your problem.
B. Join in and see what you can draw.
C. Report it to the local Garda station or
Galway City Council.
You’re walking down the street and
someone drops a crisp bag. What do you
do?
A. Pick it up and put it in the bin.
B. Step on it and don’t do anything.
C. Shake your head and wonder why they
did that.
You notice someone in the river or sea and he or she is in trouble. What
do you do?
A. Swim out and try and save them.
B. Call the coastguard.
C. Hope someone else has seen them and rings the coastguard.
Page 42
CIVIC
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Class Activity 1
Discuss the results of the above survey held within your class. What do the results tell you
about the levels of participation/good citizen/awareness of responsibilities that exist
within your class. How do your class rate as citizens of Galway?
Class Activity 2
Organise a class meeting – send out notices, put up posters, set out an agenda, elect a chair,
take minutes, agree a decision/course of action
Class Activity 3
Choose one or more of the following events, which could
occur in your local community or school. e.g.
•
a burnt-out car has been abandoned outside the school
•
the life bouys located all along the river have been
stolen or vandalised
•
graffiti has been written on one of the school walls
•
Trees have been broken or pulled up in a park close to
the school
•
Bags of rubbish have been dumped outside the school
by an unknown person.
As a class, you decide to come together, present your opinions
and decide on a course of action.
•
Write a letter to the person or organisation you feel you
should contact regarding the event which occurred. Try to
arrange a meeting with that person – your teacher could be the
official, or another pupil could take on that role.
•
After the meeting, have a class discussion on how the
meeting went. Was the problem resolved? If it was not resolved,
then discuss why not, and decide on what you need to do next.
You may consider contacting the following organisations/agencies
•
•
•
•
•
Garda Siochana, for example the Community Liaison Officer
Local media – Galway Bay FM, Galway Advertiser, Connacht Tribune, Galway Independent,
Galway Now, TG4, RnaG.
Galway City Council
Environment Section
Litter Wardens
Community Wardens
Parks Department
Galway City Development Board
Galway Community Forum
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CIVIC
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It’s my City
it’s my
Environment
20/05/2005
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My City, my Environment
CIVIC
ach day every one of us does something that impacts on our
environment. Every time we turn on a lightswitch, get in a car, eat
a packet of crisps, or even flush the loo we are affecting our
environment. We use energy, consume resources or create waste each day
of our lives, so sometimes it is worthwhile thinking about how positively or
negatively what we do effects our environment. Galway is your city – but it
is also your environment. So what can YOU do to preserve, protect and
enhance Galway’s environment? Lets look at some ways that YOU can show
good citizenship, care for your city AND benefit the planet. It’s easy to
make a difference – here’s how!
E
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The Environment
CIVIC
CLIMATE CHANGE, GLOBAL WARMING, THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
It means that the way we live will cause huge changes in the Earth’s
weather systems because of gases released into the atmosphere by human
activity – everything from heating our homes to farming and industry.
These "greenhouse gases" trap the heat of the sun, so the more of these we
create, or "emit", the more heat is trapped, leading to climate change.
More than anything else climate change is related to our use of ENERGY.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas, is released when we burn
fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas to make electricity, to heat our homes,
workplaces and schools, or to drive cars, trucks and other vehicles.
The amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere because of
fossil fuel use has increased TEN FOLD in the last century. Never before
have humans had such a large and direct impact on the global environment.
WHAT ARE THE LIKELY IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Big changes in weather patterns
More flooding, droughts, storms
Risk of a colder climate if the gulf stream is effected.
Melting of the polar ice caps
As sea levels rise, coastal areas (such as Galway City) will be
increasingly at risk from storms and erosion
Around the world many low-lying and island states are in danger of
being covered by the sea.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP PREVENT CLIMATE CHANGE
You can do a number of things:
• Make energy use more sustainable, by using energy as efficiently as
possible
• Encourage a shift towards renewable sources of energy, such as wind,
wave and solar power. Write letters to your local and national
politicians – they are the ones who make the decisions on funding
renewable energy sources. Remind them that you may not have a vote
yet, but you WILL when you are eighteen!
REMEMBER – SAVING ENERGY SAVES THE ENVIRONMENT!
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Test your Energy IQ
CIVIC
How much do you know about energy? Try out the quiz below to find out!
1.
What is our planet’s greatest energy resource?
2.
Where do plants get the energy to grow?
3.
Does it take more energy to recycle a can or make a new one?
4.
Is there more energy in a chocolate bar or an apple?
5.
Can you think of a renewable type of energy you could use to dry
clothes?
6.
Is food a renewable or non-renewable type of energy?
7.
Is it better to throw something out or reuse it?
8.
Name two types of fossil fuel.
9.
Name one type of renewable energy.
10.
Which type of boat uses renewable energy: a sailing boat or a motor
boat?
11.
Can just one person make a difference to our energy resources?
12.
Two people in the same class arrive in school: one travelled by car;
the other took the bus. Which one is more energy efficient?
Answers on page 63.
• 1-4 correct…..there is a lot more to know about energy!
• 5-8 correct….you are learning about energy!
• 9-12 correct….you know lots about energy!
The Fossil Fuel Energy Chain
When we burn fossil
fuels, such as coal, oil and
gas, there is a build-up of
carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. This leads
to global warming
and climate change.
There aren’t enough
trees to use up all the
carbon dioxide produced
when coal and other
fuels are burned.
Millions of years ago trees
died and were slowly
turned into oil - this oil is
extracted today
Trees cannot be turned
into oil in our lifetime it takes millions of years
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The Environment
CIVIC
Caring for the environment in your own home.
There are many things that you can do throughout the house that will help
the environment and also help save money on many household bills. These
can be summed up by the "3 Rs" of environmental care:
Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle
•
•
•
Reduce your consumption of energy and products
Re-use (e.g. plastic bags) as much as possible
Recycle – glass, aluminium cans, paper etc. can all be recycled.
Here are some interesting facts that you may not have known.
•
•
•
•
•
•
A television, stereo, computer, etc. can still use as much as half the
amount of electricity even when it is on stand by. So plug them out or
simply turn them off at the socket.
If you reduce your central heating by 1oC you can save up to 10% on your
heating bill.
Turn off all lights in rooms that you are not using.
An energy saver light bulb will last ten times longer than a normal light
bulb. Also, one traditional lightbulb uses as much electricity as FIVE
modern CFL energy saver lightbulbs!
A shower uses 70% less water then a bath. Water is a precious resource
– don’t waste it!
A lagging jacket costs about E10, and pays for itself in three months in
the energy it saves you! If every unlagged hot water cylinder in Ireland
was lagged, it would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 100,000 tonnes
per year!
Class Activity:
There are many other interesting facts like the ones above. Find out as
much as you can about energy conservation and try an experiment at home
– make sure you get your parents’ permission first! Using the information
you have researched, find out how you can save electricity in your own
home. You can show it to your parents and they will benefit from the tips
that you can give them.
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Recycling
CIVIC
Did you know that there are many things that we use everyday that can be
recycled? Think about it for a few minutes. What did you use or throw
away yesterday that could have been recycled? Did you throw away any
paper, cans or bottles?
Did you know that it takes 20 times as much energy to make a new soft
drinks can as it does to recycle an old one? The means 20 times the emissions!
Make a list of five things in your house that can be recycled.
Items that can be recycled:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Where can I bring my recyclable items?
Galway City Council currently operates a waste recycling scheme for homes
and businesses in the city. You will probably be familiar with the scheme
whereby three bins are provided to every household. One is for organic and
compostable waste such as food, paper towels, etc., one for dry recyclables
such as cans, cartons, food tins and cardboard, newspapers etc., and the other
for non-recyclable waste such as ashes, light bulbs, tin foil, etc. It still doesn’t
solve the problem of cans, glass bottles, etc. This is where YOU come in.
REMEMBER:
• Each household in Ireland creates 1 tonne of waste per year - that’s a
LOT of waste, at least half of which is recyclable!
• 33% of household waste is made up of packaging, much of which arises
in the kitchen.
Galway’s main recycling centre is located at the Sandy Road Recycling
Centre at Liosbán.
Hazardous Waste:
Waste which is classified as
"hazardous", i.e. batteries,
chemicals, paint tins etc. can be
brought directly to the Sandy
Road Recycling Centre, which is
open to the public each Saturday
from 10a.m – 2p.m.
Clothes:
What about old clothes? If you
have grown out of your old
clothes, see if any of your friends
or family want them. If they don’t,
then you have two options.
Firstly, why not bring them to a charity shop? The charity shop can then
re-sell them, so you will be helping a good cause and doing your bit for the
environment at the same time.
Secondly, most Bring Banks include a special container for clothes. If you
place your unwanted clothes in a bag and drop them in the container, they
will be passed on to a charity shop, or given directly to people who need
them. Why not go home and look through your wardrobe and see what
doesn’t fit you. Make sure you check with your parents first that it is ok to
give the clothes away.
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Class Activity 1
Make a list of the bring bank recycling facilities in your area. Draw a map of where they are.
Class Activity 2
Did you know that every plastic bag produced will not biodegrade (i.e. break down naturally and
be re-absorbed into the environment) for 1,000 years? That’s a lot of bags hanging around the
planet for a very long time! We should try to limit our use of plastic bags and plastic wrappings
as much as possible, and at the very least recycle them as much as possible.
The Irish Government introduced a levy on plastic bags on 4th March 2002. Six months later,
in September 2002, statistics showed that:
•
There had been a reduction in the consumption of plastic bags of over 90%!
•
The Government collected E3.5 million from the plastic bag levy, all of which was put
to use in environmental protection projects!
…which goes to show: you really CAN make a big difference if you make the effort!
How many things can you re-use a plastic bag for? Here are some suggestions.
1. Use as a bin liner for smaller bins in the home.
2. Re-use the same bag over and over again when you go shopping.
3. Carry clothes to and from the swimming pool.
Now, can you come up with some more ideas?
Location of Bring-banks in Galway city.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Joyce's Knocknacarra (Glass)
Toft Park, Salthill Aquarium (Glass)
Dunne's Westside (Glass)
Raven's Terrace, by Fire Station (Glass)
Dun Aengus, Harbour area (Glass)
Fair Green, Forster Street
(Glass, Cans, Tins)
City Hall, College Road (Glass)
Cathedral (Glass, Books, Clothes)
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Dyke Road car park
(Glass, Cans, Tins, Clothes)
Galway Shopping Centre (Glass, Clothes)
Corporation Depot, Liosbaun
(Glass, Clothes, Cooking Oil)
Dunne's Terryland (Glass, Clothes)
Ballybane Shopping Centre (Glass)
Renmore, by Kingfisher Club (Glass)
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Gaillimh Ghlan - making
Galway a cleaner place
CIVIC
What happens when you drop a sweet wrapper, crisp packet, or burger
carton on the ground?
•
•
•
It lies there, making the place look untidy.
It does not get recycled, but is added to the mountain of rubbish we bury
in landfill sites each day
Someone trips over it, or slips on it, and has an accident.
You might say
"It’s not my problem – someone else can pick it up"
"It’s the City Council’s job to keep the place clean"
"I can’t find a litter bin"
"Everyone else does it – just look around"
Caring for our environment means caring about the waste that EACH of us
creates every day. Expecting someone else to pick up YOUR sweet wrapper,
YOUR burger carton or YOUR soft drink can says "I don’t care about my
city, and I don’t care about anyone else living in my city". It also says "I
don’t mind living in a dirty, untidy city". Thankfully, not everyone thinks
like that, or Galway would be knee-deep in rubbish!
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to think "My waste – my problem", and take
action to deal with it. Litter bins are there for a purpose – USE THEM, and
do your bit to keep Galway clean. A clean city is an attractive and
successful city, which benefits us all, both now and in the future. So instead
of making excuses, make a choice – a clean Galway or a dirty Galway? The
answer really is in YOUR hands.
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A Sticky Problem!
CIVIC
Do you chew gum? If you do, then what do you do with your gum when
you are finished chewing it? Next time you walk around the city, look at
the pavement. How many patches of chewing gum can you find on the
footpath? Think about it – every single patch of gum you see has been in
someone’s mouth at some point, and they have spat it out, and it’s been
walked into the ground. Yeeuuck!!!! Next time you finish chewing gum,
put it in the foil wrapper it came in and drop it in a litter bin. It will make
our roads and footpaths a lot nicer to walk on!
Other Things You Can Do To Help The Environment.
• Remember
to
recycle
paper, glass, plastic and
cans.
• Stop littering the streets
and try and get your friends
to do the same.
• Instead of having an adult
drive you everywhere, why
not use the bus, walk or
even cycle? This will help
cut down on the amount of
cars on the road and also
help to keep you fit.
• Ask your parents to use
unleaded petrol in their cars.
•
In the supermarket, look for products that are environmentally friendly,
are recyclable or have been made from recycled materials.
•
Why not help to organise a clean up campaign at school or where you live?
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Terryland Forest Park
CIVIC
Helping to create a new environment
Your generation of young Galway people have an opportunity which no
other Galway children have ever had – the opportunity to plant a forest! The
Terryland Forest Park project began in March 2000 and the plan is to create
a modern urban forest – in fact the largest urban forest in Europe! The area
which the Forest Park will cover is 160 acres, and the intention is to plant
1,000,000 trees in a ten year period from 2000 to 2010……can you work out
how many trees a year that would be? It has been said that the Forest Park
will create a new set of "lungs" for the city, and when you consider that trees
have the ability to remove CO2 from our environment – the gas which causes
global warming – then we know how important each and every tree is!
Look at the map – this will show you the extent of the Terryland Forest
Park. Why not try to work out how close it is to your school?
You may already have been involved
in this project as part of the regular
"bulbathons" and "plantathons"
which the Terryland Forest Park
Committee have organised over the
past number of years. You may have
planted bulbs, trees or shrubs which
are currently growing, and which
will, in time, form the beautiful
Forest Park we are all looking
forward to enjoying. If so, then
GOOD FOR YOU!! If you have NOT
participated in the Terryland Forest
Park Project, then it’s not too late to
do so NOW. This is YOUR forest
Park, and Galway City Council want
YOU to become involved in its
planting and management. For
more information on the Terryland
Forest Park contact Parks and
Culture Section at Galway City
Council. Phone:091-536400.
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HOW WILL THE FOREST PARK HELP GALWAY’S ENVIRONMENT?
To understand how a forest park in the heart of the City will help Galway’s environment, we first
need to understand how trees work.
Trees need light, air, heat and water in order to grow.
They need sunlight to make food and oxygen.
Humans need oxygen to live. We get it from trees and other plants.
Making food and giving off oxygen is called photosynthesis.
The oxygen is given off into the air by the leaves.
The food is sent down through the bark of the tree to the roots.
The bark is a very important part of a tree. If it is damaged, the tree may die.
Leaves need water for photosynthesis. The water comes from rainfall. Trees need a lot of rain
to grow and they cannot live in deserts. Water comes up from the roots, through the trunk of
the tree under the bark, to the leaves.
The Wood Chain
Wood gives off carbon
dioxide when it burns
Trees need carbon
to grow
Branches break off or
trees are cut down
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Why not try the following photosynthesis experiments.
Plants need light. Energy for photosynthesis comes from sunlight.
Plants need air. Plants take carbon dioxide from the air and give off oxygen.
Plants need heat. Plants cannot grow at very low temperatures.
Plants need water. They take it in through their roots.
You will need:
• Five healthy potato plants in pots. Label the plants 1,2,3,4, and 5.
• A large black plastic bag.
• A large clear jar with a screw lid.
• Access to a fridge.
What you do:
1. Place Plant 1 on a widow sill in full light. Water it as required.
2. Place Plant 2 on a window sill. Do not water it at all.
3. Water Plant 3 and place it in the black plastic bag. Seal the bag.
4. Put Plant 4 in the jar. Water it and then screw on the lid tightly.
5. Water Plant 5. Then put it into the fridge.
This experiment is carried out over two weeks. Examine the plants at the end of each week, and
fill in the Worksheet on the following page for each week.
Class Activities:
•
Talk to your teacher about organising a trip to the Terryland Forest Park.
•
Terryland Forest Park is going to be planted with "native species" of trees. What does this
mean? Try and find the names of as many "native species" of trees as you can.
•
Many native species of trees have connections with Irish folklore and customs. Try and find
out as much as you can about these connections.
•
Certain species of trees have very distinctive shapes. Try to draw the outline of as many
different tree shapes as you can.
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Results
CIVIC
PHOTOSYNTHESIS EXPERIMENT: WEEK NO.
Plant 1
Q. What happened to this plant?
Q. Why?
Plant 2
Q. What happened to this plant?
Q.Why?
Plant 3
Q. What happened to this plant?
Q. Why?
Plant 4
Q. What happened to this plant?
Q. Why?
Plant 5
Q. What happened to this plant?
Q. Why?
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Galway’s Waterways
CIVIC
alway has been described as "the Venice of Ireland". More than any
other Irish city, it has an extensive waterways system. The river
Corrib runs like an artery through the city and there is a venous
system of canals and millraces which connect with it. All this water proved
a great source of energy, and at one point there were 29 waterwheels
drawing their power from the waterways of Galway to provide energy for
the city’s various industries. The Eglinton Canal which connects Lough
Corrib with Galway Bay, was completed in 1852, and was used to transport
both goods and people. After the First World War water power came to be
abandoned when electricity became more easily available, and the
waterways declined as a result. Nature then took over, and today they are
a wonderful wildlife environment and recreational amenity for the city.
G
Waterways as habitats.
The waterways of Galway are home to a variety of plant and animal life.
The plant life, or flora, falls into four categories, which cover a wide variety
of plant species.
•
•
•
•
Lower aquatic plants ( Algae, mosses)
Aquatic plants ( Stonewort, Canadian pondweed, Duckweed)
Emergent plants ( Reed, sedge, rush, bogbean, watercress)
Waterside plants ( Toadflax, willow, alder, sycamore, fuschia, buddleia)
The animal life, or fauna, is just as varied. They can be divided into four
different categories.
• Invertebrates (mayflies, shrimps, diving beetles, crayfish)
• Fish (salmon, trout, eels, minnow, bream, mullet)
• Birds ( Common Sandpiper, coot, moorhen, mallard, mute swan, grey heron)
• Mammals (common seal, grey seal, otter, mice, pigmy shrew, water bat)
Water quality
The waterway’s rich plant and animal life depend on good water quality to
survive. It is up to all of us to make sure that our waterways are not
polluted. We can do this by not littering the river and canals, and the
pathways alongside them, and taking care when fishing, rowing or canoeing
in the waterways. We are very lucky in Galway to have such a fantastic
natural environment on our doorstep, bringing nature into the heart of the
city. Lets appreciate them, and all try to do our bit to look after them.
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Galway’s Waterways
CIVIC
Class Activities:
Look at the accompanying map of the Galway’s waterways. Why not ask
your teacher to organise a walk along one of the waterways circuits?
For added fun, why not try to find some of the species listed on the Checklist
attached to the map?
Checklist
q Caddis Fly
q Cormorant
q Duckweed
q Pond-Skater
q Mallard
q Reed
q Water Beetle
q Mute Swan
q Watercress
q Dragonfly
q Grey Heron
q Fuchsia
q Salmon
q Common Seal
q Buddleia
q Trout
q Otter
q Purple Loosetrife
q Eel
q Canadian Pondweed
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Wordsearch 3
CIVIC
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Find these words in the puzzle above.
Environment
Sandpiper
Rush
Waterways
Flora
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Corrib
Winter
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Coot
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Otter
Salmon
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Green-schools
CIVIC
MAKING YOUR SCHOOL A "GREENER" PLACE!
Green-Schools is an international environmental education programme,
designed to promote and acknowledge whole school action for the
environment. We’ve already seen how you can make a difference to the
environment in what YOU do every day, and how you can care for the
environment in your own home. The GREEN SCHOOLS PROJECT is a way
in which you can make your SCHOOL a more environmentally-friendly place.
Green-Schools is run by An
Taisce, the National Trust for
Ireland, in co-operation with
Local Authorities throughout
Ireland and is sponsored by
Coca-Cola Bottlers Ireland Ltd.
There
are
25
countries
operating the programme in
Europe and beyond.
In Ireland there are currently
over 1370 Primary and
Secondary schools participating
in the programme - that's over a
third of all schools in the country! 269 schools have already been awarded
the Green Flag. A number of schools in Galway have been awarded the
Green Flag – is your school one of them? Do you know of another school
near you that has been awarded the Green Flag?
Green-Schools is both a programme and an award scheme. The award is given
to schools that successfully complete the Seven Steps of the programme.
BENEFITS TO YOUR SCHOOL
The Green-Schools programme
can help schools to:
• Improve the School
environment
• Reduce litter and waste
• Reduce fuel bills
• Increase environmental
awareness
• Involve the local community
• Gain local publicity
• Create links with other
schools in Ireland and abroad
HOW CAN MY SCHOOL GET
INVOLVED?
For more information on Ireland's
Green-Schools programme contact:
Jane Helps, Green-Schools Office,
An Taisce, Tailors’ Hall, Back
Lane, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Tel: 01 7077 067 Fax: 01 4541802
E: [email protected]
St Nicholas’ Green Flag
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Here’s how YOU can make Galway (and the planet!) a better place to live in…
1 Shop for the environment
Avoid over packaged goods. Buy products in recyclable packaging and buy products made
from recycled materials whenever possible.
2 Get into recycling
Most homes are located within reach of a bottle or can bank. Separate your bottles, cans and
other recyclable items such as clothes and get into recycling!
3 Say NO to plastic bags
When you buy a magazine, bar of chocolate or a packet of biscuits tell the shop assistant you
don’t need a bag. Bring your own, and buy re-usable bags for the supermarket shopping.
4 Compost your waste
Composting is an easy way to dispose of your kitchen waste and old newspapers to improve
your garden, if you have one.
5 Don’t litter, and don’t tolerate those who do.
6 Water is life
Water is a valuable commodity. It has to go through a very expensive treatment process
before we get it. Don’t waste water – don’t let taps run unnecessarily, and turn taps off fully
when you have finished using them. Remember, a dripping tap loses hundred of litres of
water each year.
7 Dispose of waste liquids such as household cleaners, paints or weedkillers correctly.
Pouring them down the drain pollutes our rivers, lakes and seas. Dispose of these liquids in
the special facilities in your area – Galway City Council will tell you where they are located
in the city.
8 Do short journeys in short time
It takes 10 minutes to walk a distance of one kilometer. It takes even less to cycle it. Ask
yourself – do you really need to be taken in the car for short journeys?
9. Turn Down and Switch Off
Don’t overheat your home. Remember, every one degree you turn down saves you 10% on
your heating bill. Switch off lights when you leave the room (if there is no-one else there!)
and turn the T.V., music system or computer off at the plug – even on standby they are using
around half the amount of electricity they would use if turned on!
10. Become Label Conscious
Encourage your parents to choose energy labels A or B when buying a new washer, dryer,
fridge, freezer or dishwasher. They will save energy and money!
IT’S EASY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE – MAKE A START NOW.
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Useful Contacts & Websites
CIVIC
ENFO Information on the Environment
17 St. Andrew Street,
Dublin 2
Tel.1890 200191(lo-call) or 01-8882001
[email protected]
www.enfo.ie
Irish Energy Centre
Glasnevin,
Dublin 9.
Tel.1850 376666 or 01-83699080
[email protected]
www.irishenergy.ie
Anti-Litter Unit
Department of the Environment and Local Government
Custom House,
Custom House Quay,
Dublin 1.
Tel. Lo-call 1890 202021 or 01-8882060
National Spring Clean/Green Schools
An Taisce – The National Trust for Ireland
Tailor’s Hall,
Back Lane,
Dublin 8.
Tel. 01-4541819
[email protected]
www.antaisce.org
Sustainable Energy Ireland
Tel. 1850 376666
www.sei.ie
Galway City Council,
City Hall,
College Road,
Galway.
091-536400
www.galwaycitycouncil.ie
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Answers
CIVIC
PAGE 35 - Treasure Trail
1. 29th June 1963. 2. The importance of sea and maritime trade in the
development of the city. 3. Pádraig Ó Conaire. 4. Built in 1627 for Martin Browne.
5. The Shoemakers Tower. 6. Máirtín Ó Direáin. 7. 1651. 8. Lynch 9. The King’s
Head, established 1649. 10. 1612. 11. The Galway Mechanics Institute. 12. 1320.
13. "This memorial of the stern and unbending justice of the chief magistrate of
this city, James Lynch-Fitz-Stephens elected Mayor AD 1493, who condemned
and executed his own guilty son Walter on this spot". 14. Nora Barnacle, wife of
James Joyce. 15. KC Blakes restaurant – originally called Blake’s Castle. 16. An
Poirse Caoch ("the blind arch") 17 Christopher Columbus / Christoforo Colombo.
18. Lynch and Penrice. 19. The Clay Oven, an Indian restaurant. 20. The Fishery
Tower – 1669.
PAGE 47 - Test your Energy IQ
1. The sun. 2. Plants get the energy to grow from the sun. 3. It takes more
energy to make a new can. 4. There is more energy in a chocolate bar. 5. You
could use sun or wind to dry clothes. 6. Food is a renewable type of energy.
7. It is better to reuse something rather than throw it out. 8. Coal, oil, gas,
peat. 9. Sun, wind, water, food, trees, crops. 10. A sailing boat uses renewable
energy. 11. Yes - one person can make a difference to our energy resources.
12. The person who took the bus to school is more energy efficient.
PAGE 32 - Wordserch 1 Solutions
V B N P
R E
S I
D E N T
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Y L
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G C
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N N H S
K O
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M C D E M O C R A C
U O A Z
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PAGE 59 - Wordserch 3 Solutions
O I
E Y A
O V W A R D M T
T L C A N D I
PAGE 41 - Wordserch 2 Solutions
O R C
O T
T C W E M N T W I
Y I
Y T
W H M V O I
H N P Q L
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T O W K F
E G S S
A N E
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