Author: Daniel Gallen

Micheál Breathnach (c. 1864-1943) was born in the village An Mám (Maam) in the Joyce Country, Co. Galway, around the year 1864. A highly skilled storyteller, Breathnach left a strong impression on the folklore collectors who recorded from him in the 1930s and 40s, including the American folklorist Stith Thompson (pictured) who visited the Maam valley in the summer of 1937 with Séamus Ó Duilearga, Director of the Irish Folklore Commission. Ó Duilearga had been introduced to Breathnach by Seán Mac Giollarnáth, district justice in Connemara from 1925 to 1950, and Ó Duilearga subsequently described the storyteller’s speech as follows: “Is blasta agus is snasta an chaint atá ag Mícheál Breathnach – tá druíocht na sean-aimsire ag baint le chuile rud dá ndubhairt sé” (Mícheál Breathnach’s speech is both elegant and precise: every word he uttered had in it the magic of old times”).This talk will examine Breathnach’s folklore repertoire as well as aspects of the storyteller’s biography and life experience which were recorded by Mac Giollarnáth, from 1932 until the storyteller’s death in 1943. As well as shedding light on previously unpublished folktales and seanchas (oral lore) from “Cartlann Sheáin Mhic Giollarnáth”, which now forms a part of the… Read the rest

In January 1860, nine-year-old Edmund Garrett arrived back in Belfast from Paris to reside with his uncle and guardian. It followed several years of tense family disagreement over his guardianship which culminated in a fraught civil court case in the south of France where his mother, Emma, accused her cousin of spying on her. The domestic crisis brought to light family secrets, gossip, and sibling allegiances as members of the extended family became – both willingly and reluctantly – involved in the dispute. Despite legal documents stipulating he should reside in Dublin with paternal family members, he remained in Belfast with his mother’s sister. Edmund eventually reflected back on his informal adoption by his uncle as securing ‘a happy outlook on life after such a sad childhood’.This case demonstrates the overlapping loyalties within three intermarried families of the Belfast industrial elite. Being in the same generation, most people have their longest-lasting relationship with a brother or sister. Yet, siblings are often side-lined in favour of looking at the family from a vertical perspective. The relationship between cousins is even less explored. This paper uses sibling and cousin relationships to explore obligation and emotional attachment in the extended Irish family. Dr… Read the rest

The four great mendicant orders of the middle ages – the Dominicans, the Franciscans, the Carmelites, and the Augustinian Hermit friars – arrived in Ireland in the 13th century. What distinguished them from other monastic orders of the period was their devotion to preaching and good works. These orders had friaries all over Ireland, and some had quite sumptuous architecture, despite the friars’ insistence on poverty. Western Ireland has some of the most notable friaries not just in Ireland but in western Europe. This lecture explores the circumstances in which friars crossed the Shannon, the roles which they had in the medieval west, and the nature of their surviving architecture. Prof. Tadhg O’Keeffe is Full Professor of Archaeology in UCD where he has taught since 1996 and has published widely on medieval architecture. Author of numerous publications, his works focus on medieval archaeology. His many books include Romanesque Ireland: archaeology and ideology in the twelfth-century Ireland (2003)  and Ireland’s Round Towers: buildings, rituals and landscapes of the early Irish church (2004). Some of his works place Ireland in a European context, works such as Ireland Encastellated, AD 950-1550: insular castle-building in its European context (2021) and Medieval Irish Architecture and the Concept of Romanesque: building traditions in eleventh- and twelfth-century… Read the rest

Uncovering the origin story of the Headford Lace industry is not a straightforward task: sources are scarce and those that do exist omit the name of the person responsible and propose contradictory dates for its establishment that span the mid-seventeenth to late-eighteenth centuries. What is certain is that lacemaking at Headford, Co. Galway, has always been associated with the St. George family: landed gentry who were proprietors of the town throughout this period. This presentation draws on extensive research of primary sources to untangle the obscure history of an industry that would develop to employ several hundred women and secure royal patronage to support female industry during the famine of the 1840s.   Norma Owens is a PhD researcher in History in the University of Galway with an interest in early modern women’s, economic and social history, focusing on textile industries. In 2024, she was awarded a first-class honours MA in History, the MacCurtain/Cullen Essay Prize in Irishwomen’s History, and a University of Galway College of Arts Fellowship. Date: Monday, 10 November 2025Time: 20:00/8pmVenue: Harbour Hotel, Galway… Read the rest

The Gaelic-Irish Ó Cellaig (O’Kelly) lordship of Uí Maine and Tír Maine is both a subject and territorial unit that many Irish archaeologists, historians and historical geographers have hazily encountered at times during the course of their research, possibly without ever obtaining a familiarity. A later medieval lordship which straddled the River Suck in the modern counties of Roscommon and Galway, it has, up until recently, received very little historical or archaeological research. This talk will first set about placing the Ó Cellaig in their territory. Thereafter, utilising a multidisciplinary approach with archaeological inspection at its core, a select number of case study Uí Chellaig lordly centres (cenn áiteanna) and associated cultural landscapes will be interrogated. We will examine questions about the form of elite settlement espoused by the Gaelic Irish through the period, and consider how and where in their lordship they derived, and demonstrated, their wealth and authority. The talk will conclude by highlighting the recurrent themes which have emerged over the course of the research, and their potential implications for our understanding of later medieval Gaelic Ireland more generally. Daniel Patrick Curley is a native of Taughmaconnell, Co. Roscommon. He is a graduate of the University of… Read the rest

If you ever go across the sea to Ireland: University College Galway (UCG), as it was known then, was profoundly changed by the First World War. Many students and alumni rushed to enlist. They included an eccentric doctor Arthur Colahan who wrote the song Galway Bay and the son of the College president, who was thought to have died in a flying accident, but returned only to change his name and disappear. Journalist and First World War historian Ronan McGreevy has told the story of UCG and the First World War in the book The National University of Ireland First World War Centenary Roll of Honour and Essays which he co-edited with Dr Emer Purcell. Ronan McGreevy is an Irish Times journalist and the author of several books including Wherever the Firing Line Extends: Ireland and the Western Front and Great Hatred: The Assassination of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson MP. He recently appeared as a guest on ‘The Rest is History’ podcast. He is a First World War tour guide with GTI Travel and was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in 2018. He is a graduate of the University of Galway. Date: Monday 8 September 2025Time: 20:00/8pmVenue: Harbour Hotel, Galway… Read the rest

the project will be discussed, including the use of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to enhance text discoverability. Since its launch in 2023, the collection has served as a valuable resource for scholars, genealogists, and the public, offering insights into the Irish diaspora’s experiences. The collection’s continued development, as well as recent artistic interpretations and prominent media features, highlight the collection’s cultural resonance and promising future. Marie-Louise Rouget is a project digital archivist at the University of Galway Library. From Johannesburg originally, Marie-Louise has a special interest in death culture, cemeteries and the visual arts in South Africa. In 2023, she became a network scholar of the Cemetery Research Group (University of York), and published the research article ‘Grave Concerns: the state of public cemetery records management in South Africa’ (Archives and Records, 44:1, 73-94). She also releases a Substack newsletter titled ‘Morbid Musings’ to publish her ongoing research around these themes. Since 2023, she has been leading the digital-first project to make historian Kerby A. Miller’s collection of Irish emigrant letters and memoirs accessible to the public through the online portal, Imirce, which means emigration. Date: Monday 10 February 2025Time: 20:00/8pmVenue: Harbour Hotel, Galway… Read the rest

Menlo castle sits in one of Galway’s most scenic locations upon the banks of the river Corrib, some four miles upriver from Galway city centre. It was constructed as a defensive and well-fortified alien English outpost in a Gaelic world, gradually morphing over time to become a comfortable home worthy of its wealthy aristocratic owners. These were one of the merchant Tribes of Galway, the baronets Blake, ennobled for their services to the state. The castle grew, was extended, developed and was modernised over a period of some three and a half centuries, until a tragic accidental fire brought an end to the iconic building and the way of life it had supported. This illustrated talk will cover some details of the family involved, from their arrival in Ireland until their ultimate departure whence they came. Patrick Larkin is a Galway native and a chartered chemist who graduated from University College Galway with a B.Sc. degree in chemistry. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland and of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He has completed post-graduate diplomas in Applied Finance, Systems Analysis, Quality Management and Archaeology. He was formerly President of the GAHS. He is an… Read the rest