Minutes and moments in Galway History - Galway Urban District Council Archives

As part of the Local Authority Collections of the Hardiman Library Archives, the minutes books of  Galway Urban District Council, ranging from 1899-1922, cover a key period in the development of Galway city and its environs. The Urban District Council was set-up after the 1898 Local Government Act, it replaced the Board of the Galway Town Commissioners. As an 'Urban District Council' rather than a 'Corporation' the body was subordinate to Galway County Council, in administrative terms this put Galway City on the same level as towns such as Athlone and Clonmel.

Galway Urban District council was responsible for the upkeep of Galway'’s roads, street lighting and the collection of tolls. Unlike it predecessor body the Galway Town Commissioners it was also responsible for the provision of 'social housing'. During the period covered by this collection a number of housing schemes in Galway city were undertaken by the Urban District Council, including the construction of 'working class' homes in Henry Street. The period covered by this collection also saw the replacement of the tram service to Salthill with a bus service.

The minute books of the Galway Urban District Council also include a number of references to political events of the time including The First World War, The Conscription Crisis and the War of Independence. One such entry on 18 July 1918 sees a request for assistance made to The Galway U.D.C. from the Irish Recruiting Council, regarding recruitment into forces fighting in the First World War. The Galway U.D.C minuted that they were willing to meet and hear the request from the Irish Recruitment Council. A following meeting, dated, 1 August 1918, notes that Colonel Arthur Lynch M.P. addressed the meeting on behalf of the Irish Recruitment Council and explained the necessity of having voluntary recruiting carried out in order to obviate the necessity of conscription.

18 July 1918

A resolution passed on 17 June 1920 explicitly stated that the Urban District Council recognised "the authority of Dáil Éireann as the duly elected Government of the Irish people".

17 June 1920

So much economic, social and political evidence can be gleaned from such documents. When considering one of the duties and responsibilities of the Galway U.D.C. was upkeep and maintenance of roads within the district, even details regarding condition of the roads can steer researchers toeards information regarding population growth, increase in number of vehicles in Galway City at the time and even the impact the First World War was having by increasing military traffic in the region. An entry from Aril 1919 gives reasons as following for degrading of road conditions:

 ". . . .That the traffic from the County districts over the roads within the Borough boundary has been considerably increased in recent years, and that to this has been added a large volume of Army motor traffic which resulted in increased expenses in the repair and up-keep of the roads."

17 April 1919

All these images are from volume LA4/3 and are from just one volume of a series of four which are a vital and unique resource for a study of the period of key development in Galway and indeed nationally at the time. A full description can be seen here: http://archives.library.nuigalway.ie/FlatList.php?col=LA4

From Galway to California and Back Again - the Galway Civic Sword and Mace

Spotted on the online film archive of British Pathè recently is this gem of a film regarding the return of the historic mace and sword of Galway City. The sword and mace, both beautifully crafted by local silversmiths in the early 17th Century and early 18th Century respectively, with the great mace being presented to the town of Galway by Edward Eyre, Mayor of Galway, in 1712.

When Galway Corporation was dissolved in 1841, and as the Pathè film recounts, the then Mayor of Galway was owed considerable salary in arrears and he was given the two insignia." The items were later sold to an art dealer by the daughter of the Mayor and the mace and sword were eventually bought by American newspaper tycoon, William Randolph Hurst. The mother of Hurst, Phoebe Elizabeth Hurst, neè Anderson, was of Irish lineage with her family having connection to Galway.

Prior to this transaction of sale of the mace and sword, it was noted in the Galway Observer, January 28, 1933, that: "It is learned that the Galway Urban Council has been in communication with a Government Department and has represented to the latter the necessity for purchasing the Sword and Mace of the Old Galway Corporation and housing these in the National Museum. The Government reply, while non committal is couched in sympathetic terms.

Through the recent reports in the public Press in reference to the discovery of the Sword and Mace of Galway Corporation and their presentation probably when recovered to the National Museum, the epithet "Blakes of Galway" has come again into popular prominence says the "Tuam Herald" the student of history may remember these historic emblems occupied at one time their allotted positions in the local Council Chamber, until 1841, when through the passing of the Municipal Corporation Act the Corporations of Galway was dissolved. At the time financial stringency was so acute that the salary £8,000 due to the Mayor, Mr. Edmund Blake was liquidated before the Corporation went out of office by the handling over of the Sword and Mace to the Mayor. When Mr. Edmund Blake died in 1905 the sword and mace came into possession of his daughter, Miss Anne Blake, who decided to dispose of them a few years after. The Civic Emblems were then sold to Mr. Louis Wine, art dealer, of Grafton Street, Dublin, who now possesses them."

The mace and sword were purchased in 1938 by Hurst and did end up going to America to reside in Hurst Castle, San Simeon, California and there they remained until 1961 when they were returned to Galway by the Hurst Corporation, following the death of William Randolph Hurst in 1951, as a gesture to the city and people of Galway. The ceremony to mark this event was attended by a large crowd and took place at the Aula Maxima here on campus of then University College Galway. The ceremony was attended by Taoiseach Sean Lemass and Mayor James Redington of Galway.

Press coverage of the return of the mace and sword from the Milwaukee Sentinel can be read here and Here.

A wonderful and in-depth article on the history of the Galway civic mace and sword, written by past Professor of History here at NUI Galway (then U.C.G.) Prof. G. A. Hayes-McCoy, "The Galway Sword and Mace" and is published in the Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, Vol. 29, No. 1/2 (1960), pp. 15-36. (For those of you with Jstor subscriptions it is available to read here)

Today and since their return, the Galway Civic Sword and Mace reside here in Galway and are in the Galway City Museum. Great to have them here at home!

For more and related collections here at the Hardiman Library, you may be interested in Galway Corporation (1485 - 1818); Galway Town Commissioners records (1836 - 1899);  Galway Urban District Council records (1899 - 1922) ans also the archive of Prof. G.A. Hayes-McCoy.

for more on the Archives and Special Collections of the Hardiman Library, click here.

A Ban on Ye Small Ball

 Hurling banned in Galway City in 1527

 

"But only the great football" - Detail from Liber A 1527

 The James Hardiman Library includes in its archive an original manuscript of Galway corporation statutes dating back to 1486.  The Galway corporation statute book or Liber A as it is know is made up of annual entries listing office holders in Galway Corporation and statutes or local laws passed each year.

1527 Entry in Liber A

With Galway's recent success in wining the Leinster Hurling Championship and taking Kilkenny to a re-play in the all Ireland it may be a surprise to read that in the 16^th century there was an attempt to ban the sport in Galway city, 'hand ball' was also banned, however 'football'  was allowed.

According to a statue in Liber A dating from 1527:

...at no tyme the use ne ocupye the horlinge of the litill balle with hockie stickes or staves, nor use no hande ball to playe without the walles, but onely the great foote balle, on payn of the paynis above lymittid (a fine of 8 pence)

or in modern English:

...at no time the use nor occupy the hurling of the little ball with hockey sticks or staves,  nor use a handball to play outside the walls, but only the great football on pain of the pains above limited.

Detail from 1527 entry relating to fines on the playing of games including 'the horlinge of the litill balle'

Liber A which covers the period the period 1485-1711 is a large volume with each page measuring roughly 45cm x 25 cm.  While the first entry dates from the late 15^th century the handwriting would suggest that the first 70 years were transcribed in the mid 16^th century.   The item has been part of the University Library collection since its foundation.  It's not clear how it came into his possession but it appears that Liber A was originally part of the University's first Librarian James Hardiman's personal collection. 

Liber A with pencil for scale

The statutes in Liber A  cover a range of issues including trade,  local taxes, public morals and property rights.   While the content of Liber A relates primarily to local laws one can see  wider issues reflected in the manuscript.  For example entries for 1611 records that the mayor Valentine Blake was removed from office for refusing to take the 'Oath of Supremacy' .  The appointment of a Catholic mayor following the ascension to the throne of James II in 1685 is marked by the use of  ornate golden lettering.

Liber A entry for 1686, with Catholic Mayor's name written in Gold

 The Digitisation Service of the James Hardiman Library, NUI Galway is currently engaged in digitising this unique item which will be made publicly available on our website.