DID YOU KNOW Decay and Decline (1800 - 1900) The Industrial Revolution had come to Galway in the 18th century in the form of water-powered industry. By 1844, no less that 25 water-wheels turned in the canals that can still be seen on the right bank of the Corrib. Industries were generally in the food sector - brewing, distilling, flour milling. Transport to Galway was still difficult. Road technology was not well developed, and the awkward geographical fact that Lough Corrib turned westward rendered canal building difficult, and it was never attempted. The port continued to trade with Europe and North America. There was a busy coastal trade to Connemara, Clare and the Aran Islands, and also a river trade along the river and lake. In the 1840s the Great Famine caused by the onset of potato blight caused a major catastrophe in the Galway region. Etc. Two major construction projects were carried out in Galway towards the end of the 1850s - the building of Queens College, Galway, which opened in 1848, and the Eglinton Canal and Claddagh Basin, built to connect the lake with the sea and facilitate the busy boat traffic up and down the river. Another revolution came to Galway in 1850 with the completion of the Dublin-Galway railway line. The railway station, adjacent to Eyre Square, was completed in ???, and the adjoining Great Southern Hotel in ???. The railway gave Galway its first reliable, all-year-round, easy and cheap means of communication with the outside world. It meant a profound change in the local way of life. Local industries found they could not compete with imported goods and went into decline. Live cattle, once exported to Britain through the port, were now more cheaply transported by rail via Dublin. A group of locals did try to grasp one opportunity opened up by the railway. Galway was now the closest port to North America in Britain or Ireland. Passengers landing at Galway would find their onward journey facilitated by the railway. With this in mind, the Atlantic Royal Mail Steamship Company, popularly known as the Galway Line, was founded in 1858. The company ships suffered several unhappy mishaps, fortunately without ever losing a passenger. Despite holding the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing, the company went bankrupt in 1864. Its failure put an end to any hope of Galway becoming a major Atlantic port. Though the Allen Line, a Canadian company, continued regular sailings to America right into the 1900s, the harbour never expanded sufficiently to take ocean-going liners. Passengers had to embark and disembark by tender, while the liners anchored in the bay, near Mutton Island. The remainder of the century was one of decline in Galway. One by one, the local mills closed until none was left. In the surrounding countryside, the small cottiers and landholders left in large numbers, leading to larger farms and (paradoxically) more prosperous farmers. The fishermen of the Claddagh found their methods of inshore fishing could not compete with deep sea trawling. Emigration of the young become customary as the western seaboard of Ireland declined and population decreased. As road transportation improved, the lake and river trade, and the coastal trade disappeared, leaving only the ferry and cargo transportation to the Aran Islands to survive (and thrive) in the present day. Revival (1900 - Present) It is sad to relate that the emergence of the Irish Free State in 1922 brought no significant change in the Wests situation. Indeed no real change occurred until the 1960s when the State finally set out to encourage foreign investment and combat emigration. The problems of the west of Ireland are still great,. Emigration and unemployment are rife in some areas. However, Galway is a success, a bright spot in the decline of the west of Ireland. Besides tourism, it also has a busy manufacturing sector with electronics, healthcare and light engineering factories on the outskirts of the town. It has a lively cultural and artistic life, something which lends an exciting buzz to the town. As the 20th century comes to a close, the city of Galway is one of the most westerly urban centres of the European Union (EU). It is a thriving community in a peripheral region of Ireland, with Ireland itself as a peripheral country of the EU. It is this remoteness from what are usually considered the centres of power that has given Galway its unique history. During its history is has endured plunder, disease, slaughter and depopulation on more than one occasion. But on the positive side, its history in this century has been comparatively pacific. Throughout its past, Galway has manifested a particular individuality in each era of its existence, and today it still retains a certain ambience. It has an unique atmosphere, in particularly a welcome for the weary visitor. We hope you will spend many enjoyable hours in Galway during your visit.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 12:04:23 +0000
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