im 



GALWAY. 



GALWAY. 



1123 



miles N. from Galway, is a market- and post-town, clean and tolerably 

 neat in appearance. The chief buildings are the sessions house and a 

 chapel for Roman Catholics. There are a handsome mansion and a 

 glebe house, with well-wooded grounds in the vicinity. Kinvarra, a 

 post-, market-, and sea-port town, is situated in a hilly country, at the 

 head of Kinvarra Bay, 12 miles S.E. by S. from Galway, and has 

 1102 inhabitants, many of whom are engaged in fishing, and in the 

 importation of turf from Connemara. Corn is exported in small craft 

 from the quays. The town is the residence of the Roman Catholic 

 bishop of Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora ; the Roman Catholic chapel is 

 the most important public building. Menlough, population 764, 

 about 2 miles N. by W. from Galway, is a poor village situated on 

 the left bank of the Corrib River. In the vicinity is Menlough Castle, 

 the seat of Sir Valentine Blake, Bart. A quarry of black marble is in 

 the neighbourhood of the village. Oranmore, a small post-town 6 

 miles E. from Galway, population 627, stands at the extremity of an 

 inlet from Galway Bay, and possesses a large Roman Catholic chapel 

 Situated at the point of convergence of the roads from the county ol 

 Clare to Galway town, Oranmore is a considerable thoroughfare. Turl 

 and sea-weed manure are imported at the quay. There are some 

 remains of Oran Castle, a structure erected by the earls of Clanricarde 

 to command the pass. The town has a brisk retail trade, and some 

 share in the fisheries. Roundstone, population 471, besides 845 in 

 the auxiliary workhouse, a village founded by the late Mr. Nimmo, 

 is situated on the western shore of Roundatone Bay, 37 miles W. by N. 

 f>. ' Jalway, and has a Roman Catholic chapel, a monastery, a National 

 , and a small court-house. The harbour of Roundstone affords 

 nt anchorage for the largest vessels. From the pier the principal 

 exports are turf, sea-weed, and corn to Galway and the ports of Clare. 



Galway county is represented in the Imperial Parliament by four 

 members, namely, two for ihe county and two for the county of the 

 town of Galwaj. 



In December 1851 there were 133 National schools in operation in 

 the county, attended by 9620 male and 9495 female children ; there 

 are also a much greater number of other elementary schools, several 

 classical schools, and, for superior education, Queen's College in 

 Galway town. Assizes for the county are held in Galway, where are 

 the county prison, county infirmary, and fever hospital. For civil 

 business the county is divided into two ridings East and West. 

 Quarter sessions are held in 7 places, and petty sessions in 34. 



The county expenses are defrayed by grand jury assessment. The 

 county is in the military district of Limerick, and there are barrack 

 stations at Loughrea, Portumna, Galway, Gort, and Oughterard : the 

 staff of the county militia is quartered at Ballinasloe. The constabu- 

 lary force in 1852 consisted of 738, including officers. Loughrea is 

 head-quarters for the east riding ; Galway town for the west riding. 

 There are revenue police stations at Galway, Oughterard, Round- 

 stone, and Tuam ; and there are 18 coast guard stations, with a total 

 of 74 men and 6 officers. 



JIilory, Antiquities. The Anglo-Norman family of De Burgh. 

 and their followers, in the beginning of the 13th century, fixed them- 

 selves chiefly about Athenry and Galway, and maintained the adminis- 

 tration of English law until the middle of the next century, when the 

 Meassination of William, earl of Ulster, led to a revolt of the entire 



descent ; but the great mass of the population are of original Irish 

 descent, and speak the Irish language. 



Galway is very rich in antiquities. The remarkable antiquities of the 

 Arran Isles are noticed under AURAS, ISLES OF. There are round 

 towers at Ballygaddy, Kilbannon, Kilmacduagh, Meelick, Murrough, 

 and Ardrahan. Cromlechs and stone circles are of frequent occur- 

 rence. The antiquities of the episcopal seats of Tuam, Cloufert, and 

 Kilmacduagh are contained within this county. Of the numerous 

 remains of religious houses throughout Galway, the ruined abbey of 

 Kuockmoy is the most interesting. It was founded in the year I'lSO 

 by Cathal O'Connor. Above the tomb of the founder are some 

 fresco paintings of great interest, as exhibiting the costume of the 

 ancient Irish. The raths or earthen fortresses of the old Irish and 

 the castles of the Anglo-Normans are very numerous. 



GALWAY, Ireland, a municipal and parliamentary borough and 

 sea-port, a county in itself, and the head of a Poor-Law Union, is 

 situated on the north side of Galway Bay, in 53 16' N. lat., 9 3' 

 W. long., distant 130 miles W. by S. from Dublin. The town is 

 governed by a high sheriff, recorder, local magistrates, and a board 

 of 21 commissioners, elected triennially ; and returns two members to 

 the Imperial Parliament. The population of the town in 1851 was 

 20,686, besides 3009 inmates of the workhouse. Galway Poor-Law 

 Union comprises 26 electoral divisions, with an area of 197,465 acres, 

 and a population in 1851 of 61,397. 



Galway was erected into a separate county by charter of 8th 

 James I. The county of the town embraces a tract of 24,132 acres, 

 of which 628 acres are in the town. This district is divided into 

 nearly equal parts by the river, which here discharges the waters of 

 Lough Corrib into the sea. The town of Galway is built on both 

 ides of this river and on two islands situated in its channel ; the main 

 town stands on the left side of the river. 



QEOO. Div. VOL. II. 



A fortress was erected on the site of the town in the year 1124. On 

 the invasion of the English in 1180, Galway was put in a state of 

 defence by the O'Flahertys, from whom Richard De Burgho took it 

 in 1232; and in 1270 the walling and fortification of the town were 

 undertaken by the conquerors. About this time the ancestors of 

 many of the present leading families of Galway settled here, and 

 from the entry of customs on the Pipe roll, it appears that the place 

 had already become a considerable dep6t of foreign merchandise. 

 The town continued to increase in mercantile prosperity till the 

 middle of the 17th century. On the final success of the Parliamenta- 

 rians in 1652, Galway, after enduring a blockade of some months, 

 submitted to Sir Charles Coote. On the breaking out of the war of 

 the revolution in 1688, the inhabitants declared for James II. The 

 town surrendered to General Giucell on July 26th 1691. 



The walls have been almost entirely pulled down since 1779, and 

 the town has extended on all sides beyond its former limits. There 

 still remain some of the antique residences, which are generally square 

 castellated buildings, with an interior court-yard and arched gateway 

 opening on the street. The whole of the old part of Galway bears 

 considerable resemblance to a Spanish town. The river is crossed by 

 two bridges; the west bridge, built about 1442, connects the town 

 with Ballymana Island and the opposite suburbs. The disposition of 

 the streets within the circuit of the ancient walls is very irregular, 

 but in the newly-built portion of the town uniformity and airiness 

 have been more consulted. The new town is built on a gently-rising 

 eminence stretching down to the river on the west and to the sea on 

 the south. On the sea side a creek of the bay forms a natural har- 

 bour, which is the site of the docks. The floating docks occupy about 

 5 acres, with water for vessels of 500 tons. The spit of laud which 

 separates this basin from the river is quayed for a distance of 1300 

 feet, and terminates in a return pier. A new canal passing through 

 the town is to form a communication between the harbour and 

 Lough Corrib. There are also two small docks on the river side of 

 the town. The town is lighted with gas, but is badly paved. The 

 outskirts of the town are composed of hovels inhabited by a very poor 

 population. 



On the right side of the river is Claddagh, an extensive suburb of 

 mean huts set down together in narrow streets, and inhabited by 

 fishermen who will not permit strangers to reside among them. The 

 laws of their fishery and most of their internal regulations are under 

 the control of a functionary whom they call their mayor, and elect 

 annually. They all speak the Irish language, and the women still 

 retain much of the Irish costume. 



The borough jail, erected in 1810, is situated on the upper of the 

 three islands which the river here forms ; and adjoining it is the 

 county jail, connected by a bridge, built in 1831, with the county 

 court house, a handsome cut stone buildiug with a portico of four 

 Doric columns, erected in 1815. The borough court-house, or 

 'tholsel,' erected during the civil wars of 1641, is a respectable 

 edifice : the under part forms an extensive piazxa. Opposite the 

 tholsel stands the collegiate and parish church of St. Nicholas, 

 founded in 1320. It is cruciform, 152 feet long by 126 feet in breadth. 

 In th.- interior are various monumeuts of interest. Attached to tho 

 church is a singular ecclesiastical body called the Royal College of 

 Gal way, founded in 1484, when Donat 0" Murray, the then archbishop 

 of Tuam, sauctioned by Pope Inuocent VIII. and King Edward IV., 

 erected the church of St. Nicholas into a collegiate body, consisting 

 of a warden and eight vicars choral. The presentation and election 

 of the members of the college lie wholly with the Protestant num- 

 bers of the corporation. The Roman Catholics have two chapels, 

 3 monasteries, and 5 nunneries in Galway ; the Presbyterians and 

 Methodists have each a chapel. The chief educational establishment 

 is the Queen's College, which opened for the reception of students in 

 Nov. 1849. The number of students during session 1852-53 was 154, 

 namely, matriculated, 141; non-matriculated, 13. The building is 

 large aud handsome. Erasmus Smith's College, of which the charter 

 is dated 1669, has an income from endowment of 126/. a year, and 

 has several exhibitions of the value of \'U. a year each, teuable for 

 seven years, at Dublin University. There are also schools for boys 

 and girls connected with the monasteries and nunneries. 



Besides the buildings already mentioned there are a county 

 infirmary, a fever hospital, a custom house, a Union workhouse, and 

 extensive barracks. The chief manufacture of Galway is that of flour, 

 which is carried on to a very considerable extent. In addition to 

 numerous flour-mills on the Corrib River, there are oat-mills, malt- 

 mills, and fulling-miUs, driven by the same water-power. In the 

 town and its vicinity are an extensive paper-mill, breweries, distilleries, 

 a tan-yard, a bleach-mill, and foundries. Salmon and sea-fishing are 

 extensively carried on. The assizes for the county and borough, and 

 quarter and petty sessions are held at Galway. A chamber of com- 

 merce regulates the mercantile affairs of the town. Markets are 

 leld on Wednesday and Saturday; and fairs on May 31st, September 

 21st, and October 21st. 



On December 31st 1853 the number of vessels registered as 



>elonging to the port of Galway was 12 under 50 tons, of 359 tons ; 



and 3 above 50 tons, amounting to 502 tons. The number and 



'Onnage of vessels entered and cleared at the port during 1S53 were: 



iiwards 141, tonnage 21,613; outwards 124, tonnage 17,499. The 



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