The Long Walk Galway

The 'Long Walk' outside Galway city on a calm summers evening. THE CLADDAGH IS one of the oldest areas of Galway city. In fact, it’s one of the... more

by Conor McGuire

Title

The Long Walk Galway

Artist

Conor McGuire

Medium

Painting - Oil On Canvas

Description

The 'Long Walk' outside Galway city on a calm summers evening. THE CLADDAGH IS one of the oldest areas of Galway city. In fact, it’s one of the oldest inhabited villages in Ireland – people have used this spot at the mouth of the Corrib as a fishing harbour for thousands of years.

Until the 20th century, Claddagh was totally separate from the city of Galway – a traditional village of thatched cottages, with Irish as a spoken language. It drew tourists to see the fishing boats that supplied the market in the city. (Maria Edgeworth described the fish being “flapped in one’s face”.)

In the 1920s, however, it was decided that the old cottages were unsafe to live in. By 1930 they were all gone, to be replaced by the modern homes that line the area now.

Today’s neighbourhood sits just a few steps from the city centre proper. Cross the Corrib on the Wolfe Tone bridge and you have the Claddagh on your left and to your right the West End area of mostly independent shops, cafes and bars.

Uploaded

March 31st, 2011