Powering the changes in growing city of industry

Lifestyle – William Henry’s new book Galway – Walking Through History is an accessible, comprehensive account of the city’s history from earliest times to the present. The 19th Century was a time of great social turmoil but also of growing industrialisation and employment. Industries, now long gone, left their mark on buildings and streets as this extract captures.

Factories and businesses provided much-needed employment in the city during the nineteenth century and the following examples are included in chapter 11 of the book, which is entitled ‘Nineteenth Century Aspects’.

Milling Industry: The fact that Galway was built on the River Corrib made it ideally situated for the milling industry, which has a long tradition in the city. By the nineteenth century there were several industries exploiting the river to power their mills. According to one source, there were seven ‘industrial estates’ using water power during that period. The industries included an Oat and Bark mill; several Flour mills and the Galway Marble Company. There were also three distilleries using water-power along with other manufacturing businesses, including factories. Some of the names have survived as a reminder, such as the Bridge Mills, Regan’s Mill and of course Mill Street. The quality of life in the city depended mainly on employment and the opening of a factory was always welcome news.

Galway Soap Factory: This factory dated from at least 1824 when it was under the ownership of Catherine Kirwan. It was still in business in 1887 when they challenged a newspaper report which had stated that there was no soap factory in Connacht. All those involved with this report were reminded of the ‘very popular Kirwan’s Soap’ available at outlets in Galway City.

Spinning Jute Factory:  This was also known as the ‘Bag Factory’ and was located on Earl’s Island. The factory was well-managed and there were strong investments made by local businessmen to ensure its success. It was an initial success story and the company continued to invest in new equipment and machinery. It was mentioned as being one of the best employers of its time and helped to feed many needy families throughout the city. However, over time a down-turn in the market had a serious effect on business and the factory closed in 1885.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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