The Races on the West Coast of Ireland 



by 

 Richard J. Anderson (Galway). 



I gave, on a former occasion, a catalogue of peculiarities of the 

 Claddagli children examined. These people are primitive in their 

 origin and their habits, and now for the third time, I give particulars 

 with reference to three groups obtained in Limerick, Galway and 

 Ballinasloe. Most anthropologists agree with Professor Virchow who 

 regarded the Eastern migrators as the chief ones in Europe. The 

 ancient Iberians and the Pigmy race may have come from North 

 Africa at an earlier period. It is probable that this pigmy race 

 was one of the very first, if not the first race (Kollman). Tradition 

 points to several races in Ireland or West Europe, and this before 

 the time of the Celts. There are some traces of the Celts still, and 

 perhaps earlier people, but great changes have taken place in the 

 population in various districts within historic times. Galway is 

 sometimes spoken of as a Norman city. If however the cathedral be 

 excepted, most of the old streets were constructed by Spaniards, who 

 colonized Galway. Traces of the Iberian or Basque type still remain. 

 There have been other admixtures owing to plantations made from 

 time to time in the West. Some of the people came from the North, 

 and some from the Continent. Thus Ballycroy is inhabited by a 

 colony of Ulster origin. Further admixture is due to fishermen from 

 the North making Galway coast their centre and settling down. 



Limerick, which is a city of great importance, is a Danish 



town, and the large proportion of light-haired children with blue eyes 



6* 



