The Ivy Hotel in Eyre Street was known as Baker’s Hotel during the Black and Tan era. Captain Baker, who had served in the war, lived there with his daughters. A number of Black and Tans, including the infamous Krumm, lived there, and others frequented the hotel. The girls were friendly with the Tans and the local IRA took a poor view of this.

One of the daughters, Eileen, came downstairs early one morning and opened the front door for the postman. “I turned my back and the folding doors were flung open. Six tall men came in wearing black clothes all over their heads and faces. One man walked up to me with a revolver and pulled me to the middle of the hall, whilst the man behind caught my plait — I had my hair in plaits at the time — near the head. They cut the plait with a single clip. They said very little but they searched all the police coats and caps before they walked out. The man with the revolver had a razor, as if they intended to shave my head.” Miss Baker’s head was cropped close.

That night, during curfew hours, parties of men, carrying revolvers and electric torches, wearing black and white masks, slouch hats, and uniforms called on the houses of Mrs Madden, St Brendan’s Terrace; Mrs Broderick, Prospect Hill; and Mr Turke, College Road. Miss Gertie Madden, Miss Margaret Broderick, and Miss Margaret Turke were taken outside and their hair cropped close with three pairs of scissors wielded by three men, while a fourth held a torch.

This photograph was originally taken in 1983 as the corporation was preparing to knock down the high wall that ran around St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church and replace it with the railings that had surrounded Eyre Square… one of the better Quincentennial projects that helped improve the face of Galway.

At the end of Church Lane you can see College House. It fronted on to Market Street, and behind it was the Monastery School and, behind that again, Bowling Green. The residence of the Patrician Brothers was to the east of the enclosed quadrangle of the school, and the outoffices to the west thereof. In 1650 College House was on the site of the Athy Castle, reputedly the first stone castle built in Galway. On June 23 1703, as the property of James Rutledge (who had been accused of treason) and occupied by his wife Catherine, it was sold by the trustees for selling forfeited estates for £60 by cant in trust for Her Majesty. Shortly afterwards, it was converted to a barracks.

Our photograph today shows two young girls, Marie Scanlon and her sister from Shantalla, standing in front of Shantallow house in the mid 1940s. Prior to the building of the council houses we know as Shantalla, this house was more or less surrounded by green fields. At one time the house was owned by a distinguished engineer named William Blood, who was related to the Maunsell family from across the road in Fort Eyre. Blood’s nephew was George Johnson Stoney who was professor of natural philosophy in Queen’s College, Galway, from 1853 to 1857, and who lived in this house during that time. He was a distinguished amateur scientist who worked for a time as Lord Rosse’s astronomer at his large telescope in Birr. Stoney was the person who coined the name ‘electron’. He later became the secretary to the Queen’s Colleges, so he made a significant contribution.

This evocative photograph of Phil Coyne’s Claddagh Bar was originally taken about 40 years ago. The shawled lady was Biddy (or ‘Bideen’) King from the Claddagh. The bar was situated on the corner of Raven Terrace, where McGuire’s shop is today. To the left of the pub was a sweet shop, which was owned by two sisters, Hanna and Sheila Gannon, one of whom wore mini-skirts long before they became fashionable. To the left of that again was John and Annie Connolly’s bar. They also kept lodgers, and one of those who stayed there was Edward McGuire who was a mechanic in Higgins’ Garage. His wife to be, Ethel Corbett, worked around the corner in George Gay’s furniture shop, and when they decided to get married, they bought Connolly’s and changed the name to McGuire’s Bar.

The building at the end of Raven Terrace was Haverty’s Pub, and around the corner, facing the Claddagh, was Beatty’s Forge. This was later taken over by Jack Mitchell who ran a motor repair shop there. Next to him was George Gay’s shop. Behind the Claddagh Bar on the Lower Fairhill side was Carroll’s Garage.