Anglo-Norman or English families, commonly called "The Tribes." They were thirteen in number-being, according to the old rhyme "Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, Deane, D'Arcy, Lynch, Morris, Skerret, French." Like most old towns, Galway was originally constructed on the plan of a fortress, the houses being crowded close together for protection, and surrounded by a wall, having strongly fortified gates. During the middle ages it carried on much trade and intercourse with Spain, which doubtless brought over many foreigners to settle in the town, and this circumstance has probably given rise to the erroneous though very commonly entertained idea that Galway was originally a Spanish town. The grand old mansions, very few traces of which remain, were erected by the Anglo-Norman or English settlers. A guide to Galway would be incomplete without some allusion to that famous tragedy enacted here, of which a stone, sculptured with a skull and cross-bones and an inscription, still bears witness. The stone is now inserted in a wall in Lombard-street. The legend is given as related in "Dalton's Survey of Galway." "The history of this more than Roman act of justice seems to be that he (the Mayor of Galway) sent his son to Spain on some commercial affairs, who, returning with the son of his father's friend and a valuable cargo, conspired with the crew to murder and throw him overboard, and convert the property to their own use. One of the party, as most providentially happens in most such cases, discovered the horrid transaction to the Mayor. He tried and condemned his son to death, and appointed a day for his execution. It was imagined by his retainers that, through their intercession, and the consideration of his being an only son, he would not proceed to put the sentence into execution. He told them to come to him on a certain day and they should have his determination. Early on the day appointed they found the son hanging out of one of the windows of his father's house. It was commemorated by the cross-bones in Lombardstreet." The streets in the old part of the town are, as a rule, narrow and dirty; but great improvements have been made of late years, and there are now several good thoroughfares, with large shops and handsome modern buildings. The Claddagh at Galway. 297 Eyre Square, One side of which is occupied with the fine hotel and terminus of the Midland Great Western Company, is a spacious enclosure, well planted and laid out in walks. The surrounding houses are mostly occupied as hotels, banks, and public offices. The County of Galway Clubhouse holds a conspicuous position at the upper end, beside the Bank of Ireland. Galway has fine quays and very splendid docks, constructed in the expectation that here would be established the chief transatlantic packet station in Ireland; but that project failed. A canal runs from the harbour through the town to Lough Corrib, and further on connects it with Lough Mask. The Corrib here rushes, foaming over rocks, through its channel beneath the bridge, to join the sea in Galway Bay, and in the spawning season the salmon may be seen in hundreds at this place leaping up against the torrent. The salmon fishery of Galway is very valuable. There is also a company established for deep sea fishing and trawling. The chief works carried on are marble-the beautiful material for which is quarried in the neighbourhood; works for extracting iodine from seaweed; and a distillery. The Cathedral, or Church of St. Nicholas. This venerable and highly picturesque structure, situated nearly in the centre of the old city, was founded in the thirteenth century by the De Burgos, but was re-modelled and added to at various times down to the sixteenth century. A goodly portion of the original building still remains. On the whole, this very remarkable church forms an admirable stud for the ecclesiologist. The Queen's College is also a fine building. Its architectural style is what is called Tudor. The Claddagh, In situated on the harbour, is entirely inhabited by fishermen. former times this was a distinct and separate community, governed by their own laws and electing their own "king;" but latterly they have been brought under the jurisdiction of the sheriff, recorder, and other civil authorities. They still, however, keep up several curious old customs, and continue to monopolise the fishing. The fish market is situated opposite the Claddagh, and at the end of it still stands one of the old gates of the city. Salthill, in the western suburbs of Galway, is a much frequented bathing place. Here a fine road runs close to the seashore for about a mile and a half to the Blackrock, affording a most agreeable walk or drive. To the left is the Bay of Galway, at the opposite side of which, twelve miles off, are seen the Burren mountains, situated in the county Clare. They rise as it were from the bed of the ocean, in a long and beautiful range, terminating in the gloomy and abrupt cliff of Blackhead. On the right is Taylor's Hill, studded with fine residences and neat villas, while in front is Barna Point, beyond which a rocky and broken coast stretches away to Spiddal. Opposite the harbour are Clare Island and Mutton Island. About the centre of the bay is a rock on which a large transatlantic steamer was wrecked in broad daylight some years ago. |