I have been following the Connemara holiday taken by Stephen L Gwynn MP in September 1907*. He set out from Galway on his bicycle, with his fishing rods and knapsack. He travelled along Cois Fhairrige to Clifden, through Connemara to Killary and Leenane, over the mountains through Joyce Country to […]
Maurice Gorham 1902 – 1975 Noted broadcaster and author, and member of a Clifden family. Maurice Gorham was a household name in Ireland in the 1950’s … as Director of Broadcasting in Radio Eireann … for people who can remember the period of the radio soap entitled “The Kennedy’s […]
The Famine years were particularly harsh all over the west of Ireland, and especially in the Connemara region whose population of tenant farmers and labourers depended almost entirely on the lumper potato. Thousands died when the potato crop failed in the summer of 1845 and failed again over the following […]
Teaching was disorganized from 1700 – 1800 due to the Penal Laws. But Hedge Schools were in existence in this area. The Public Records from the archives in the Four Courts state— 1) School in Clifden kept by Michael O’Brien average 50-60 2) School in Clifden kept by John […]
An Early Tour Guide to Clifden The following excerpt is taken from ‘Picturesque Ireland’ by John Savage, a well known Dublin born Fenian poet, journalist and author who emigrated to America in 1848. The work was first published in 1856; the version reproduced here is taken from an edition […]
Senior citizens of Gortrummagh and Fakeeragh in 1836 On a recent trawl through early nineteenth century newspapers in the National Library, I found this fascinating item on the inhabitants of the townland of Gortrummagh and Fakeeragh in 1836. This rather interesting letter to the editor of the Galway […]
The following is an excerpt from the Illustrated London News, which was the world’s first fully illustrated newspaper, founded in 1842. In the issue of January 5th 1850, the following piece ‘Condition of Ireland, Illustrations of the New Poor Law’ was printed, detailing the journey of the writer through the […]
First Report of the Commissioners Of Inquiry The State of the Irish Fisheries in 1836 The quay of Clifden is near the eastern extremity of Ardbear Bay, contiguous to the village, and on the estate of Mr. John D’Arcy. Clifden is not a place of rendezvous from whence boats […]
The end of the 18th century and the early 19th century was the boom time for Irish gardens. Before this the situation within the country was not conducive to the construction of gardens. Obviously there would have been some gardens and most houses would have had vegetable gardens, but the […]
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