Galway Bay FM News Archives
Significant exhibition to relaunch city museum
Date Published: 21-Jun-2011
By Denise McNamara
An 8,000-year-old fish-catching spear will be one of the highlights of the most significant natural history exhibition ever hosted in Galway which will mark the opening of the revamped Galway City Museum next week.
Hundreds of artefacts relating to Galway’s prehistoric and medieval past will feature in the collection which is on loan from the National Museum of Ireland.
Objects discovered on archaeological digs throughout the 1980s and 1990s in and around Galway City, as well as some more recent finds uncovered during the building of the M6 motorway.
“A significant event for both the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) and for Galway City Museum”, is how Mary Cahill, assistant keeper with the NMI, has described the loan.
Among the many highlights will be Neolithic (4000-2000BC) polished stone axe heads, Bronze Age Spearheads dating to 1300-1000BC found in the River Corrib during the 1980s and Bronze Age pottery dating back to approximately 2000 – 1800 BC.
The array of stone tools of flint and chert, such as scrapers and blades give a fascinating insight into prehistoric humans and their existence in Galway. Many of the tools would have been used to hunt and skin animals, cut meat and even to do some woodworking. One of the earliest objects on display will be a Mesolithic stone spearhead, which may have been used to catch fish, and dates back to approximately 6000BC.
Galway’s medieval past will also be represented with samples of ceramics from Ireland, England and all over Europe, as well as coinage, wine bottles and drinking glasses.
The medieval collection will draw attention to Galway’s trading past and an age when the so-called Tribes of Galway ruled the waters off the west coast of Ireland.
The artefacts will be on display on the ground floor from the end of next week in new high quality specially built showcases which were purchased with a grant from the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism and are designed to accommodate priceless, sensitive objects which need high regulated temperatures.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.
Date Published: 07-May-2013
Galway has a population of young people which is more than twice the national average.
According to information gathered by the Central Statistics Office, Galway’s population of 20 to 24 year olds is more than twice the national average.
The number of 25-34 year olds in Galway is also more than the norm nationally, with the two main colleges thought to be the main reason.
However immigration in Galway is much higher than in other areas at 19.4 percent, compared to the national average of 12 percent.
Date Published: 07-May-2013
A city councillor is encouraging people to donate goods directly to charity shops.
It follows allegations of thefts from clothes banks in Galway and across the country in recent months.
However, cameras are in place at some clothes banks and surveillance is carried out by local authorities.
Speaking on Galway Talks, Councillor Neil McNeilis said the problem of theft from clothes banks is widespread.
Date Published: 07-May-2013
A park ‘n’ ride scheme from Carnmore into Galway city could become a permanent service if there is public demand.
That’s according to the Chief Executive of Galway Chamber of Commerce, Michael Coyle.
The pilot scheme will begin at 7.20 next Monday morning, May 13th.
Motorists will be able to park cars at the airport carpark in Carnmore and avail of a bus transfer to Forster Street in the city.
Buses will depart every 20 minutes at peak times and every 30 minutes at offpeak times throughout the day, at a cost of 2 euro per journey.
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