Cumann Seandálaíochta agus Staire na Gaillimhe

Galway Archaeological and Historical Society – Founded 1900

The contributions of women religious in Galway city and county are areas of increasing interest, with historians and the public eager to engage with the longstanding histories of religious orders. Groups whose names are familiar to Galwegians, such as the Poor Clare, Dominican, Augustinian and Carmelite foundations, all trace their origins to the seventeenth century. In this lecture, Dr. Bronagh McShane will explore the numbers and identities of women who joined these orders and elucidate where possible their family connections. Situating the experiences of these women within the broader context of conflict and upheaval that characterised seventeenth century Ireland, and within the wider context of European monasticism, new light shall be shed on this important but often overlooked dimension of local Galway history and heritage. Dr. Bronagh Ann McShane is a historian specialising in the history of women, religion and confessionalisation in early modern Ireland and Europe. Her research has been funded by the Irish Research Council, the National University of Ireland and the Royal Irish Academy. She has published widely in leading peer-reviewed journals including, British Catholic History, Archivium Hibernicum and the Journal of Historical Network Research. Her monograph, Irish Women in Religious Orders, 1530-1700: Suppression, Migration and Reintegration… Read the rest
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What can fiction tell us about everyday life in Ireland and Northern Ireland during the 1930s, 40s and 50s? And perhaps just as importantly, what does it not tell us? Did male authors differ from female authors? Did the works of Catholics differ from those of Protestants? These, and other questions, will be explored by Dr. Caitriona Clear in this lecture. Novelists such as Patrick Purcell, Sheila Pim, John D. Sheridan, and Patricia O’Connor, are just a sample of those whose books will be considered. This presentation shall seek to ignite memories of, or stimulate curiosity about, these vivid and accomplished story-tellers; some of whom remain fondly remembered, whilst others are undeservedly forgotten. Dr. Caitriona Clear is a member of the Galway Archaeological & Historical Society, and lectures in history at the University of Galway. She has published widely on various aspects of Irish history, ranging from Women Religious in the nineteenth century, to women’s magazines in the twentieth. Dr. Clear was an invited contributor to the Irish President’s Machnamh 100 Seminar Series on Irish history in 2021, and is currently engaged with a number of projects, of which research on the contribution of Irish fiction to the analysis of… Read the rest
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For many decades, historians and commentators avoided examination of the Civil War, regarding it almost with embarrassment. So it was within families and communities too, where the ‘War of the Brothers’ was often discussed only in hushed tones, if at all. However, since the arrival of Michael Hopkinson’s ground-breaking Green against Green in 1988 things have changed, and authorities such as Tom Garvin, Bill Kissane and – most recently – Diarmaid Ferriter have published books on the subject. In this lecture, Professor Michael Laffan, will examine how our views of this conflict have evolved in recent years. A graduate of University College Dublin and Trinity Hall Cambridge, Professor Laffan lectured at the School of History and Archives at UCD for over three decades. A former president of the Irish Historical Society, and a sought-after contributor on matters historical for the national media, he has also published extensively on Ireland’s Revolutionary Period. His seminal work on the original Sinn Féin organisation, The Resurrection of Ireland: the Sinn Féin Party, 1916-1923, remains the definitive text on that subject; whilst his more recent biography of W. T. Cosgrave successfully addressed a previous dearth in academic examination of the first leader of the independent… Read the rest
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Léacht (Luan 14ú Márta: Harbour Hotel ag 20:00/8i.n.) Léargas ar an bpobal a mhair sa gceantar seo sa naoú haois déag ó thaobh cén uair ar tháinig siad ann, cé leis a raibh siad ag íoc cíosa, cén chaoi ar mhair siad ar muir is tír agus na hathruithe a bhí ag tarlú de réir mar a bhí an tréimhse sin ag dul ar aghaidh.  As Tír an Fhia sna hOileáin í Áine Ní Chonghaile. Thosaigh sí a saol oibre ag teagasc agus ansin chuaigh siad leis an aistriúchán, ceird ar chaith sí an chuid ba mhó dá saol oibre.… Read the rest
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Lecture 17 January 2022 A discussion of the implications for the Irish Republic, the North, and Ireland’s relations with the wider world On 6 December 1921, the Sinn Féin delegation led by Arthur Griffith signed the ‘Articles of Agreement for a Treaty between Britain and Ireland’ at Downing Street, London. From both a revolutionary and a constitutional perspective this was a seminal moment in Irish history. The Treaty itself signalled a formal end to the Irish War of Independence against Crown forces; debates surrounding it proved a harbinger for a bitter civil war; whilst its ratification by the Dáil ensured that it served as the foundation document of the new Irish state: Saorstát Éireann. In this lecture, hosted jointly by the Galway Archaeological & Historical Society and the Moore Institute of NUI Galway, Dr Mary Harris will examine this (still) contentious moment in Irish history, and consider its implications for the Irish Republic, the North, and Ireland’s relations with the wider world. Originally from Cork, Dr Harris studied history, Irish and Spanish at University College Cork. She also completed her MA in medieval Irish literature at UCC, before attaining her doctorate in history at the University of Cambridge. From 1992-1996… Read the rest
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Born in Galway, raised in Conamara, and educated at Rockwell and Blackrock colleges, Pádraic Ó Conaire (1882-1928) – or Paddy Conroy as he was also then known as – emerged as the most exciting and widely-read Irish-language writer of his generation while working as a civil servant in London. He returned to Ireland in late 1915, to begin a new chapter in his life. In this online lecture (20:00 Meán Fómhair 20 September) Brendan McGowan of Galway City Museum will provide an overview of Ó Conaire’s life and literary career prior to his return from London, before focussing on his activities from the time of the 1916 Rising to the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921. Mr Brendan McGowan holds an MA in Heritage Studies from the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and an MA in Museum Practice and Management from the University of Ulster. Mr McGowen has previously held roles with Glenveagh National Park in Donegal and The National Museum of Ireland – Country Life in Mayo, prior to taking up his current role as Education Officer at Músaem Cathrach Na Gaillimhe. Mr McGowen’s primary, but by no means exclusive, research interests concern the Gaelic Revival and Revolutionary period… Read the rest
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Ní mar a shíltear a bhítear. Is iomaí mí-thuiscint atá ag daoine ar cén saghas éadaí a bhí á gcaitheamh ag daoine anseo fadó. Tá liosta mór fada d’fháthanna leis sin agus ina measc is féidir linn an locht a chur ar Hollywood, na Sasanaigh, faisean, polaitíocht agus ár n-aeráid, dár ndóigh. Fiú leis na dúshláin sin, tá foinsí ar fáil chun tiacht ar eolas atá caillte le cuimhne na seacht sinsear. I léacht léargasach agus shuairc, beidh Tonaí Ó Roduibh ag dul i bhfad níos faide siar ná plé ar chultacha leipreachán, féillí beaga agus báiníní le cabhair ó shean-cháipéisí scríofa ag Gaeil agus ag Gaill agus ón seandálaíocht. ‘Item, that no man, nor man child, do wear no mantles in the streets, but cloaks or gowns… doublets and hose, shaped after the English fashion, of the country cloth or any other cloth [it] shall please them to buy. Item, that no man, woman, or child, do wear in their shirts or smocks, or any other garments, no saffron, nor have any more cloth in their shirts or smocks, but 5 standard ells of that country cloth.‘ Litir ón rí Sasanach Anraí VIII go Gaillimh. Nasc chuig an léacht… Read the rest
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The Society’s lecture on Monday 22 Feabhra 2021 was given by our own Dr John Cunningham, who spoke on aspects relating to Galway’s Claddagh community in the late 1800s. Central to the lecture was the amazing story of the crew of the St Patrick, a hooker from An Cladach, which set sail on the 13th November 1876 before encountering a tremendous storm on the way to Ceann Léime in western Conamara. Their families and neighbours had already given them all up for dead by the time news of their safe arrival in America reached home. This talk was presented in conjunction with the Moore Institute at Ollscoil Na hÉireann Gaillimh. Members who joined the live event on Zoom and Facebook were able to ask questions and make observations in real time using the chat and comment feature on those platforms. If you missed the talk, or want to enjoy it again, it has been uploaded to YouTube by the Moore Institute (open post to view). A lecturer in History at NUI Galway, John Cunningham is a committee member of the Society, a member of the editorial board of its journal, and a past editor of Saothar: Journal of Irish Labour History. He… Read the rest
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Some Town Castles of Galway by Patrick Larkin The first GAHS lecture of the new 2019/20 season will take place on Monday 9th September at the Harbour Hotel. In medieval times, the saying that ‘a man’s home is his castle’ was a reasonable reflection of reality. This was entirely apposite in the case of the aristocracy and merchant classes whose warrior culture would identify with the defence possibilities offered by castles as residences. Over time, such castles evolved with changes in culture, and the way they were used changed too. Galway’s town castles were no different, and this illustrated talk will explore the evolution of the town castle as demonstrated in the city of the tribes.   Harbour Hotel, Galway, Monday, September 9th at 8pm.… Read the rest
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A History of Irish Dance by Hubert Jennings A first for GAHS! Despite it being one of the most popular forms of entertainment for many centuries, in our 119 year existence it looks like we have never looked at the history of dancing. Hubert Jennings will guide us on a whistle-stop tour through the ages on the subject of Irish Dance – its changes and development. It will cover the dance masters of the 19th century, their flamboyant demeanour  and modus operandi. The talk will sketch the main social, cultural, economic, religious, political, legal and technological influences brought to bear on the development of our traditional dance and the reciprocal impact on those characteristics of society from the first ceilí in London in 1898 to Riverdance 1994. There will be an outline on traditional dance development in Galway City from the 1930s and some of the main players who promoted this part of our cultural heritage for recreation and competition. The lecture will take place at the Harbour Hotel, New Docks, Galway on Monday 8th of April at 8pm. Admission is free of charge and all are welcome to attend.  … Read the rest
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