Eyre Square in the 1980s

Mrs OBumble

Some interesting shots of Eyre Square in the 1980s in this vid: http://www.rte.ie/archives/collections/news/21212407-galway-upgraded-to-borough/


I'm now doubting the memories of all the people who say it was great until the renovation of the early 2000's when the fances were removed. Looks to me like they were well gone and the place was a kip by '86.

ChunkyLover54

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I'm now doubting the memories of all the people who say it was great until the renovation of the early 2000's when the fances were removed. Looks to me like they were well gone and the place was a kip by '86.

You're right to doubt their memories - the fences were removed long before renovation commenced. I don't know exactly when the railings were moved to St. Nicholas Church - possibly 1984 at the towns quincentennial. Not sure.

The old square was alright - it was certainly run down by the late 90s (especially those rotten public toilets) but it had a classic style and it felt more like a village green.

The problem with new Eyre Square was mainly the ridiculous time and cost of its renovation. When it was finally re-opened it was a major anticlimax and it seemed like a waste of time and resources for not much improvement.

ChunkyLover54

According to wikipedia the railings around the square were removed in the 1960s.

(I assume these are the fences/fances you're referring to. If not I apologise).

Gadgetman496

ChunkyLover54 wrote: »

You're right to doubt their memories - the fences were removed long before renovation commenced. I don't know exactly when the railings were moved to St. Nicholas Church - possibly 1984 at the towns quincentennial. Not sure.

The old square was alright - it was certainly run down by the late 90s (especially those rotten public toilets) but it had a classic style and it felt more like a village green.

The problem with new Eyre Square was mainly the ridiculous time and cost of its renovation. When it was finally re-opened it was a major anticlimax and it seemed like a waste of time and resources for not much improvement.

The railings were gone long, long before 1984

ChunkyLover54

Gadgetman496 wrote: »

The railings were gone long, long before 1984

I know <see previous post>.

jh79

The Old Eyre Square was pretty grim. The winos were a pain annoying everyone and the public toilets were full of perverts.

fergiesfolly

Concrete flower pots and paving stones. The toilets!!! It was as as grim a place as you'd see outside of Soviet Russia.
The fountain should have been the start of a revival of the Square, but everything that's been done with it, has been kind of "meh"
I'd love to see a completely fresh redesign of the whole square from the Bank of Ireland down to the Meyrick, using young architects and designers, give it a real 21st century makeover.

dubhthach

The railings were removed in the 1960's, there were there as late as 1964:



Postcard from 64:


Here's the old Cattle Market in 1910 (hand tinted postcard)


sorta same view in early 70's with railings gone, and parking in place of the cattle market:

ChunkyLover54

dubhthach wrote: »

The railings were removed in the 1960's, there were there as late as 1964:

I never realised the doorway was used as the entrance to the square. Cool.

mrsdewinter

That's gas - in the 1964 postcard, you can make out the scaffolding at the cathedral.

thesandeman

I don't do Facebook, but there's a lad on there called Alf (he's grown up now and may call himself Alan) who has some brilliant pictures of the city over the years.
The page might be called 'Galway memories' or something similar but you should be able to find it if you're on Facebook.

I've asked him numerous times to make it available to normal people but unfortunately he grew up in the Facebook era so I've only seen a small percentage of the archive he's uncovered.

biko

Galway memories on Facebook have been mentioned in
Pictures and memories from old Galway

dubhthach

ChunkyLover54 wrote: »

I never realised the doorway was used as the entrance to the square. Cool.

Tbh the Browne Doorway needs to be taken down and put in a museum. Here's the original location near the old Pro-Cathedral where it stood until it was taken down/moved circa 1905



The Browne property was a fairly substantial late renaissance/early modern building. I believe that the doorway at least (if not whole former building) dates to about 1627.

siltirocker

dubhthach wrote: »

Tbh the Browne Doorway needs to be taken down and put in a museum. Here's the original location near the old Pro-Cathedral where it stood until it was taken down/moved circa 1905



The Browne property was a fairly substantial late renaissance/early modern building. I believe that the doorway at least (if not whole former building) dates to about 1627.

I never knew it was on Abbeygate Street.

BlackEdelweiss

I've not been to Galway in ages so I went on Google earth to see Lynches window as I remember my mother telling me about it as a child. I found this rather spooky image on Google earth right in front of the window but cant for the life of me find it again.
[IMG][/img]

interlocked

What church tower is that in the photo?

Gadgetman496

interlocked wrote: »

What church tower is that in the photo?

St Patrick's Forster St?

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

St Patrick's church, the old building beside it, has a steeple that seems to have been partially deconstructed, I'd imagine that's it.

interlocked

Thanks for that, i wasn't aware of it before, that tower only seems to have been removed in the 70's when the new church was built