There are few neighbourhoods that can boast a Titanic survivor, a best-selling author, a released captive, and an Irish International soccer player among its former residents – but then, nobody could say ‘The West’ in Galway is a typical suburb.

One hundred years ago this year, the first families moved into new houses built along St Joseph’s Avenue and St John’s Avenue.

Their predecessors – labourers who worked in the nearby mills or at the docks – were living in squalor, in dwellings that were not fit for human inhabitation, for the very reason that there was a chronic shortage of houses to meet the growing need in the city.

Long-time residents Sally O’Shaughnessy, Mary Murphy, Barbara Bailey, Christy Hession, Mike Geary and Michael Gorman, with some of the memories that will be on display for the celebration to mark 100 years since their homes were first occupied

The Connacht Tribune of April 8, 1911, reported from a sworn enquiry carried out by the Urban Council, at which medical officer, Dr Michael McDonogh, was asked if he was given a free hand, how many of the structures would he condemn. “120,” he answered.

“They have no sanitary accommodation, are old and dilapidated, have small windows, are damp and without ventilation,” he said.

The meeting was told that there were cases in which as many as nine or ten people lived in one little room – a kitchen.

“There were people even living in houses where one would not allow pigs,” the meeting was told.

“About a fortnight ago, one of these houses tumbled down, and a family of seven or eight escaped with their lives. In some houses there were two families, owing to the want of houses, as they had no other houses to go to.”

Patrick Curran, UC, and chairman of the Board of Guardians, told members that that five or six years previously, typhus fever had broken out in nearby Munster Lane, which had taken about 12 months to eradicate.

“There were five or six of them (dwellings) in which people were living, and one would be afraid to go near them … The marvel was that there was not fever now,” he said.

“These tenants had not any sanitary accommodation, and all the slops were thrown out on the front door… those houses would be vacated long ago, but they had no place to send the tenants.”

The Urban Council acquired two acres of land at Kelly’s Lane, and made plans to build two-storey cottages, consisting of a kitchen, and bedroom at the back, and two bedrooms overhead.

Michael Trayers of Barna leads a donkey and cart carrying Maeve and Valerie Hession, watched by their grandaunt, Molly

These would have a porch and shelter to the back door, a wc, a small yard, and there was provision for a water supply through a three-inch main at the back yard.

Michael Hession and his family were one of the first to occupy the new houses on St Joseph’s Avenue in July 1914.

The very rent book presented to him at the time is treasured by his grandson, Christy, who grew up there, raised his own children in the same house, and lives there to this very day.

His story is not unique, though – many of the current residents are the children or grandchildren of the original 1914 occupants.

Michael O’Connor’s parents lived in their house on St John’s Avenue since they were married, and he has lived there himself for 70 years.

The family ran a general grocery shop, which was an integral part of the community until it closed 26 years ago.

It was the only shop for families living on the two streets – nearby Henry Street was considered a world away – and they all made purchases ‘on the book’, which had to be cleared at the end of every week.

“When we hit 13 or 14, very few of us stayed on at school – a lot of lads ahead of me went to England, and only came home for the Races and at Christmas,” Michael says.

“When we had the shop, at Christmas the population of the street would go up by 20 or 30 – everyone had someone home, there was a buzz, there was loads of money for a week.

“After Christmas, the wise ones would have return fares, but the others would have to hang around until they could pay for it. Now, at Christmas time about one-fifth of the houses are empty, as a lot of them are rented, and the population goes down.”

Bridget ‘Baby’ O’Connor with her granddaughter Catherine, pictured in the mid-1970s on a donkey and cart belonging to the child’s maternal grandfather, Gerry Condon, from Knocknacarra

Sally O’Shaughnessy’s (née King) parents were living in Parkavera before moving to live in a room in the area, where they had one child. Finally, they obtained to a house on St John’s Avenue in 1917 – where her mother produced another 10 babies.

The family of 13 were not the only ones sharing the three-bed house though, her uncle also lived with them. She recalls that her parents slept in the bedroom downstairs, the four girls were in a room together upstairs, and her uncle and her seven brothers top-and-tailed between three beds in the front bedroom.

Big families were the norm though, Barbara Bailey and her husband, commercial fisherman, Johnny, moved from Sea Road to St Joseph’s Avenue in December 1969 with three children. Over the years, that grew to 10 – nine sons and one daughter.

Fifty eight years ago, Mary Murphy moved from a thatched cottage on St Brendan’s Avenue – which she describes as being “like the Great Southern” when they moved in – to St Joseph’s Avenue. She had her husband had six children.

The large families came in handy when fielding a football team to play against strong teams formed in some of the bigger suburbs.

Don Deacy was one of 10 children – one girl and nine boys – and mealtimes in that house were legendary. His mother had to put on two sittings, but the first one was the more desirable, as food was only available on a first come-first served basis.

“At 1pm we’d have to run home from St Pat’s, or there’d be nothing left,” he says.

His grandparents had taken the eldest child to live with them on High Street, as was the practice at the time, and Don was about seven or eight years of age before they met.

He recalls a three-wheeled bubble car driving down the street and stopping outside his door – all he was interested in was getting a spin in it, as Matt Glynn had the only car on the street at the time.

Mary and Andy King, pictured in the late 1940s outside their home, on a motorbike belonging to visiting relations

Behind the wheel was his eldest brother, who was about 20 at the time. He had moved to England, where he had done well, got married, and then came back to visit.

Another of his brothers, the late Eamonn ‘Chick’ Deacy, went on to enjoy a great career with Aston Villa, and played for Ireland – no doubt his love of soccer was cultivated by the creation of West United in 1945, a team made up of children from the two streets.

“If you were from Henry Street, you thought you were big shots… Bohermore had the Hibs – that was a much bigger area, but there were about 10 or 12 in every family here, so there was no problem getting a team together!” Don says.

Mike Geary considers himself ‘a blow in’ – 60 years after the family swopped their home in Fairhill for one on St Joseph’s Avenue.

His two uncles, who looked after the gardens of Eyre Square and Salthill Park, used to live in ‘The West’, which gave his mother notions about moving.

Mike then got married and raised his children in the same house.

Growing up then was very different to how things are now though, says Michael O’Connor.

“It was a fantastic place to grow up in – now you have to get crèches for kids, but we were out on the street all day,” he says.

The children were largely oblivious to what was going on behind closed doors, though.

Christy Hession’s granduncle, Tom Davis, fought for the Connaught Rangers in India

Christy Hession grew up living with his two uncles, Thomas and John Joe, who both fought in the First World War. The latter was just 14 when he signed up, having given a false name.

“There was nothing in Galway for them at the time, so they went to war to get money, and then they were called traitors [when they came home],” he says.

“They didn’t want to talk about the war, they were terrified of the telegram boy. They would come into the house and go upstairs with a bottle, and lock the door.”

Thomas joined the Franciscans some years after returning home, living with his war memories for another 50 years after fighting in the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

Another resident who was not inclined to speak about his experiences was Eugene Daly, a survivor of the Titanic.

A prominent member of the Clan Uisneach War Pipers’ Band , he was one of 11 people from Athlone on the ill-fated liner, heading to a new life in America.

The Connacht Tribune reported on May 4, 1912 that after the Titanic sank, Daly wrote to his mother from America: “Got here safe. Had a narrow escape… Haven’t much news at present, as I have not been out much since I came here.”

He returned to Ireland though, settled in St John’s Avenue, got married, and had one daughter.

Sally O’Shaughnessy’s parents knew him well, as they used to mind his daughter when his wife was sick. She says he spoke to them about the sinking of the Titanic, but was reluctant to openly discuss it with others.

Neighbouring children grew up hearing that he had successfully sued the White Star Line for the loss of his bagpipes, along with murky details about his eventual escape from the sinking ship.

“We used to taunt him: did he get a white feather (symbol of cowardice) from the Queen for dressing up as a woman?” says Don Deacy.

But the truth was that while he had managed to get into one of the lifeboats, he was told at gunpoint to get out. Eventually, he was pulled to safety from the icy waters.

In 1958, he became somewhat of a minor celebrity in the city, when the Titanic movie, ‘A Night To Remember’ came to town.

“It was being shown in the Estoria – ‘Baldy’ Raftery was the manager, and he gave Eugene a free pass for the week that it was on,” Don adds.

“He went every night, and said that the actor playing the captain was very like the real one.”

Titanic survivor, Eugene Daly, came to live in Galway after being rescued from the ill-fated ship. He dressed up as a Pope for this photograph, but was actually married with one child.

Eugene Daly went back to the US on a visit in 1967, planning to come home to Galway again, but died over there.

Another occupant who valued his privacy was Brian Keenan, who rented a house for six months after his release from four years of captivity in Beirut.

And, a plaque marks the birthplace of another well known resident, the late author, Walter Macken.

The two streets will celebrate 100 years since the first residents moved onto St Joseph’s Avenue, with a festival on September 20.

St Patrick’s Brass Band is set to open it, and there will be entertainment for children and families on the day.

Jane Talbot’s 2006 photographic exhibition, ‘Knock Knock’, which featured her neighbours at their front doors, will be on display again on the day.

Historian, Peadar O’Dowd, is putting together a booklet on the history of the area. Also, there will be a display of old photographs and memorabilia of residents from the past 100 years.