Old pictures add a splash of colour to Galway’s history

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – Colourised old pictures of Galway City that have been capturing the imagination of social media users are the labour of love of a Limerick man who has turned what started as a hobby into what will soon be the basis of a book.

Motivated by his passion for architecture and history, Rob Cross began using colourisation software to bring to life old images that had been stored away for decades – bringing them to a new audience in a format that appealed to the masses.

For Rob, who is an architect by trade, that mass appeal offered an opportunity to increase awareness of heritage, while also promoting its preservation.

“I really wanted to instil an interest in heritage and in preserving it. My background is architecture, and that interest has been there from an early age. I grew up in a historic part of Limerick, surrounded by Georgian buildings so that’s where it started,” says Rob.

“What is great about social media is people can engage with you then. They can correct you if any element of the colourisation, or the date you have, is wrong. It’s a very rewarding project.”

For his book, which is due for release in October, Rob has sought out images from all 32 counties and by colourising them, he’s hoping he can engage people the length and breadth of the country.

For Galway, the Claddagh piqued his interest for a number of reasons, but its status as a fishing village on the edge of a city, where Irish was commonly spoken up to the turn of the last century, gave it a greater appeal.
This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.

■ Rob’s book, The Colour of Ireland: County by County 1850-1950, is set for release on October 14, 2021, and is available for pre-order now. He is on Twitter.

(Photo: Fishmarket Bridge in 1900, with the Spanish Arch to the right)