Local facts and myths

biko

Before it was river Corrib it was river Gailleamh, possibly meaning "rocky river" or from the name of a daughter of a chieftain that drowned in the river.

So is that a fact or a myth?

biko

It's a fact as far as I can tell that Galway got its name from the river Gailleamh.

I have heard people say it's from "gall" meaning stranger/foreigner and that Galway would be the "town of foreigners" (like Donegal "Dún na nGall" means fort of foreigners").

biko

Fact or myth?
Lawrence of Arabia actor Peter O'Toole was born in Connemara

Mrs OBumble

Una Taffe was good looking.

bobbyss

Sting had a house in Roundstone.

jimbobaloobob

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Una Taffe was good looking.

Fact

jimbobaloobob

U2 played one of their first concerts down in the claddagh in that building near the swans. (name escapes me)

ArtyC

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

Fact

This I agree! There's a facebook page with old Galway photos to prove it!

Daledge

There's a small beach down in Renmore (Not Ballyloughane) that can only be accessed by hopping a fence in one of the housing estates. Quite a few people I know refer to it as Dead Mans Beach but I can't find much online as to where this name comes from. I've heard it's the beach where Columbus found the washed-up bodies that first led him to believe the Earth was round.

Anyone know anything about this?

fergiesfolly

Daledge wrote: »

There's a small beach down in Renmore (Not Ballyloughane) that can only be accessed by hopping a fence in one of the housing estates. Quite a few people I know refer to it as Dead Mans Beach but I can't find much online as to where this name comes from. I've heard it's the beach where Columbus found the washed-up bodies that first led him to believe the Earth was round.

Anyone know anything about this?

Previous thread.

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056594074

Das Kitty

The Bay View B&B used to be haunted.

A chap from America used to come and paint the top of a stone in Lough Atalia yellow every time he was over. He called it crogán. He stopped coming and the stone has pretty much reverted back to grey. (He may also have been the person who painted the nearby mural with the Disney marching band singing I'm no stranger to the rain)

Daledge

fergiesfolly wrote: »

Previous thread.

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056594074

I've been there, I know where it is. Was just wondering if anyone knew where the name came from.

Greaney

Una Taffe was beautiful


And yes, Sting lived in Roundstone. Not for long apparently, he left due to a threat by the IRA, which of course could be total twaddle, but that's what I remember was said when I was young

Greaney

Greaney wrote: »

And yes, Sting lived in Roundstone. Not for long apparently, he left due to a threat by the IRA, which of course could be total twaddle, but that's what I remember was said when I was young

Bill Whelan owns the house now from what I have heard.

buzz11

The saying "wouldn't give you the time of day" comes from St Nicholas church, the clock facing the catholic church is blanked out, hence they wouldn't give them the time of day.

jimbobaloobob

buzz11 wrote: »

The saying "wouldn't give you the time of day" comes from St Nicholas church, the clock facing the catholic church is blanked out, hence they wouldn't give them the time of day.

I like it but i think its fiction!

civis_liberalis

ArtyC wrote: »

This I agree! There's a facebook page with old Galway photos to prove it!

The gargoyles on St Nicholas' Cathedral were there to keep an eye out for Irish chieftains that might have entered the city after they were all kicked out once walled in. That's why they're all looking in different directions.

JohnCleary

Anti-Santa is a millionaire

b.gud

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

U2 played one of their first concerts down in the claddagh in that building near the swans. (name escapes me)

I was told before that The Cellar Bar was the first gig that U2 played outside Dublin

Missyelliot2

Deleted User wrote: »

The gargoyles on St Nicholas' Cathedral were there to keep an eye out for Irish chieftains that might have entered the city after they were all kicked out once walled in. That's why they're all looking in different directions.

We were out one night, when one of our friends told us the story of why there are only 3 clock faces on the tower. The clock face missing points towards the Claddagh because 'they didn't want to give the Catholics the time of day!'

Absolute complete rubbish, but to be fair, ingenious after a few!!!:):):)

Actually, we never did find out why one clock face is missing.....

hairyfairy00

b.gud wrote: »

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

U2 played one of their first concerts down in the claddagh in that building near the swans. (name escapes me)

I was told before that The Cellar Bar was the first gig that U2 played outside Dublin

U2 definitely didn't play in The Cellar, my father was manager/worked in there for 20 odd years. The Boomtown Rats did though, they were asked (nicely) many times by my dad and other barmen to turn down their amps as they were too loud and customers upstairs were complaining. After Geldof and the boys ignoring the many requests, my dad pulled the plug and fecked them out of the pub :D

jimbobaloobob

b.gud wrote: »

I was told before that The Cellar Bar was the first gig that U2 played outside Dublin

you might be right, thought a friend of mine had a ticket stub from it, ill see if he still has.

jimbobaloobob

Missyelliot2 wrote: »

We were out one night, when one of our friends told us the story of why there are only 3 clock faces on the tower. The clock face missing points towards the Claddagh because 'they didn't want to give the Catholics the time of day!'

Absolute complete rubbish, but to be fair, ingenious after a few!!!:):):)

Actually, we never did find out why one clock face is missing.....

its apparently a common belief if you look at this. https://galwayrambling.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/st-nicholas-collegiate-church/

JohnCleary

JohnCleary wrote: »

Anti-Santa is a millionaire

I've actually heard that. Not so much that he's a millionaire, but more that his land is worth millions.

TerrorFirmer

Don't know if he's a millionaire but he certainly had a lot of money at one point. Interestingly, was looking at a picture of him the other day as a young man in his 20's. He was big into expensive motorbikes back then.

biko

Can we steer this back to local facts and myths.

Discussion of individuals is generally ok when in a positive light, but if people start disclosing private details, as above, it may be unwanted by the person discussed and they have no chance to respond.

JohnCleary

biko wrote: »

Can we steer this back to local facts and myths.

Discussion of individuals is generally ok when in a positive light, but if people start disclosing private details, as above, it may be unwanted by the person discussed and they have no chance to respond.

Next time I see him I'll give him my tablet and he can respond :pac:

bobbyss

Columbus in Galway.

ScumLord

Daledge wrote: »

I've heard it's the beach where Columbus found the washed-up bodies that first led him to believe the Earth was round.

Anyone know anything about this?

Yes, that's quite clearly nonsense.