This documentary was broadcast on Galway Bay FM on March 29, 2024
The title  is taken from a headline in the Irish Press announcing the opening of a hat factory in Galway in 1938. Established by Jewish refugees Les Modes Modernes employed approximately 250 throughout the 40s and 50s. It continued to operate on a smaller scale until 1972.
Employees from the 40s describe the working conditions and speak of the economic impact of the factory in a town where employment opportunities were scare.
The circumstances whereby refugees came to the west of Ireland are outlined along with some insight into their personal lives during the war years and an account of reactions to their presence. 
The final section concerns one man's solo effort to keep the Galway hat trade going. His daughter tells that story. 

Produced and narrated by Mary Cunningham.

Contributors

Workers from the 1940’s:  Veronica Joyce O’Toole,  Margaret Long Casserly (recently deceased)  

Daughters of workers:  Heather Gardiner, Paula Scully.

Historians:  Dr Trisha Oakley Kessler, Dr John Cunningham 

Content voiced by: Brenda Foy, Eimear O’Meara, Margaret Molloy, Liam Cunningham, Brian Hanney, Miriam Hanney, Trish Mannion.
 

Music:    Yeti Music "Ghost Piano"       https://uppbeat.io/browse/artist/yeti-music
                    Musictown "Irish Jig".              https://pixabay.com/music/search/irish%20jig/
                   JuliusH  "50s Swing Music"  https://pixabay.com/music/vintage-50s-swing-                                                                                             music-13480/


Sources:   Dr Trisha Oakley Kessler. ‘Rethinking Irish Protectionism: Jewish Refugee                               Factories and the Pursuit of an Irish Ireland for Industry.’ In Irish                                                    Questions and Jewish Questions: Crossovers in Culture (2018)  
                   

                      Rachel Phillipson-Levy. Memoir: An Odyssey Revisited.                                                                          http://migs.concordia.ca/memoirs/levy/levy_1.html 

                     Eileen O’Faoláin.  ‘Galway Hats’ in The Bell  (1941)


                     George Clare. Last Waltz in Vienna, Pan Books (2007)

This short talk by Brendan McGowan is one of eight talks delivered on a walk through Galway on Culture Night, 19 September 2025. The focus was on the individuals remembered in statues and public spaces around the city centre. 

Brendan speaks about the life and work of Ó Conaire, the sculptor, the commissioning and unveiling of the statue, and its impact in Galway.

Brendan McGowan is t the Galway City Museum Education and Outreach Officer. The walkabout was coordinated by John Cunningham for the Galway City Museum in association with the Galway Archaeological and Historical  Society. 

This short talk by Brendan O'Mahony is one of eight delivered on a walk through Galway on Culture Night, 19 September 2025. The focus was on the individuals remembered in statues and public spaces around the city centre. 

Brendan talks about the founder of Irish republicanism Theobald Wolfe Tone, his connection with Galway, and the circumstances surrounding the naming of the Wolfe Tone Bridge. 

Brendan O'Mahony is a former post primary teacher and a french language tour guide. 

The walkabout was coordinated by John Cunningham for the Galway City Museum in association with the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. 

This short talk by Gary McMahon is one of eight delivered on a walk through Galway on Culture Night, 19 September 2025. The focus was on the individuals remembered in statues and public spaces around the city centre. 

Gary McMahon talks about the memorialisation of JFK in Eyre Square, in particular the bust by local sculptor Albert O'Toole marking the US president's visit to Galway in 1963. 

Gary McMahon is an arts broadcaster on Galway Bay FM, formely employed by Galway City Council.  

The walkabout was coordinated by John Cunningham for the Galway City Museum in association with the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. 

This short talk by Mary Cunningham is one of eight talks delivered on a walk through Galway on Culture Night, 19 September 2025. The focus was on the individuals remembered in statues and public spaces around the city centre. 

The subject here is the Domincan priest Fr. Tom Burke who was famed for his remarkable oratory skills. His ability earned him the title 'Prince of Preachers' from Pope Pius IX. There is information on the sculptor John Kavanagh, the commissioning and unveiling of the statue located on Fr. Griffin Road near Claddagh in 1948.

Mary Cunningham is a teacher who records and publishes oral histories of Galway. 

The walkabout was coordinated by John Cunningham for the Galway City Museum in association with the Galway Archaeological and Historical  Society. 

This short talk by Mary Harris is one of eight talks delivered on a walk through Galway on Culture Night, 19 September 2025. The focus was on the individuals remembered in statues and public spaces around the city centre. 

Mary's subject is Liam Mellows whose statue is located in Eyre Square. She speaks about his activity during the Easter Rising, the War of Independence and the Civil War along with the circumstances around his execution. She has details on the provenance of the statue erected in 1957. 

Dr Mary Harris is president of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society.

The walkabout was coordinated by John Cunningham for the Galway City Museum in association with the Galway Archaeological and Historical  Society. 

This short talk by John Cunningham is one of eight delivered on a walk through Galway on Culture Night, 19 September 2025. The focus was on the individuals remembered in statues and public spaces around the city centre. 

John talks about some of those remembered in Eyre Square, with a focus on the monument to Lord Dunkellin by the noted sculptor, John Henry Foley. Unveiled in 1873, it was torn down in the course of the Galway Soviet of 1922. 

John Cunningham is an historian who worked for many years as a lecturer at the University of Galway. 

The Culture Night walkabout was coordinated by John Cunningham for the Galway City Museum in association with the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. 

This short talk by Sarah-Anne Buckley is one of eight delivered on a walk through Galway on Culture Night, 19 September 2025. The focus was on the individuals remembered in statues and public spaces around the city centre. 

Sarah-Anne's topic is the memorial to the Magdalen Women - The Final Journey Statue - at the site of the former Magdalen Laundry on Forster Street. The memorial by Mick Wilkins was unveiled in 2009, and features a poem by Patricia  Burke Brogan, whose play, 'Eclipsed', powerfully conveyed the lives of the people in such institutions.

Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley is an Associate Professor in History at the University of Galway. 

The walkabout was coordinated by John Cunningham for the Galway City Museum in association with the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. 

This short talk by Jonathan Hannon is one of eight delivered on a walk through Galway on Culture Night, 19 September 2025. The focus was on the individuals remembered in statues and public spaces around the city centre. 

Jonathan talks about the bronze statue of Oscar Wilde and Eduard Vilde, gifted to Galway in 2004 by Estonia to mark its accession to the European Union. 

Dr Jonathan Hannon works or the Galway City Council. He was recently awarded a PhD in Sociology by the University of Galway

The walkabout was coordinated by John Cunningham for the Galway City Museum in association with the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. 

Anne Miller born and raised in Galway city. She remembers seeing Galway Hooker boats at Cruinniú na mBád in Kinvara.  She responded to an advertisement in the Advertiser for the introduction course. Her standout moments include the Cong to Galway race and the joyful experience of sailing alongside dolphins 

This is a recording of a walking tour through the streets of Galway where eight speakers give an account, at appropriate locations, of incidents or issues related to the arts which were the cause of some controversy in the past. 

SELECT CHAPTERS  above to access individual contributions.

The tour was co-ordinated  by Dr John Cunningham and Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley of the University of Galway History Department in association with Galway City Museum. It was conducted on Culture Night 20 September, 2024 

Produced by Mary Cunningham,

Photo courtesy of Aodh Ó'Coiléain

Music : 'Fine Dining' by Track Tribe
Website: tracktribe.com.
instagram.com/tracktribemusic/?hl=en

This documentary was broadcast on Galway Bay FM on September 17, 2021 and was part of the online programme for Culture Night that year.
It has interviews with Maude O'Donohoe and Jane Hogan who have fond memories of swimming at Salthill, Galway in the sixties. They reveal the rules that were in place at the behest of the local bishops in relation to where people could swim. Believing that men and women bathing together was an occasion of sin the bishops requested that bathing places be designated for men, ladies and families.
Jane and Maude tell of one young woman's rebellion against the rules sometime in the mid sixties when she swam up to the male section  at Blackrock when all was quiet and left her bikini top on a flagpole.  Though this caused consternation in the community more women began to venture past the Men Only sign.
P.J. Flaherty, a year round swimmer, describes the camaraderie that existed among the men who frequented the area and the resentment of some at the arrival of women.
A final attempt to stem the tide of change was spearheaded in 1971 by a local councillor  who requested that Galway Corporation ban 'Bikini Girls' from the male enclave on the basis that they disturbed the older men and priests who swam there.  At this point attitudes had changed and the councillor's concerns seemed quaint and old fashioned. The Men Only sign was quietly removed in early September 50 years ago.

Sources:
Bishop Michael Browne of Galway (1937–76) and the Regulation of Public Morality Author(s): James S. Donnelly, Jr. 

Source: New Hibernia Review / Iris Éireannach Nua , EARRACH / SPRING 2013, Vol. 17, No. 1 (EARRACH / SPRING 2013), pp. 16-39 

Published by: University of St. Thomas (Center for Irish Studies) Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24625062 

Bishop Michael Browne of Galway and Anti-Communism, 1937-1976 Author(s): Gerard Madden
 Source: Saothar , 2014, Vol. 39 (2014), pp. 21-31
 Published by: Irish Labour History Society 

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24897247

Music: https://pixabay.com/music/folk-krainer-waltz-traditional-austrian-and-slovenian-music-3358/?fbclid=IwAR18M4lYC5uIye9s6DFzgSK7FcS1g0VdAuE2ybd5ltPHuL1yCV-HzerASj0#:~:text=Music%20by%20JuliusH%20from%20Pixabay

This is a recording of a walking tour through the streets of Galway focusing on aspects of the history of theatre in the city. It was recorded live on 19 October 2023. There are nine speakers introduced by  John Cunningham, each of whom share interesting stories on their specific topics at significant sites. 
Click on chapters above to access individual contributions. 

 The tour was curated by Dr John Cunningham and Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley of the University of Galway History Department in association with Galway City Museum. 

Produced by Mary Cunningham,

Photo:  Richard Peyton Headshots | Street | Event Photography 
 realrichardpeyton

Music : 'Fine Dining' by Track Tribe
Website: tracktribe.com. 
instagram.com/tracktribemusic/?hl=en

This provides an overview of the activities of the Galway Hooker Sailing Club and gives an account of the restoration of  Loveen  a  hooker boat built in 1925 https://www.galwayhookersailingclub.ie/.
The club focusses on restoring and sailing boats used traditionally by communities off the coast of counties Galway and Clare in the west of Ireland. Club members speak about the history of the Hooker boats, their latest restoration project and give a sense of the satisfaction they get from involvement in the club along with the passion they have for sailing.

https://www.galwayhookersailingclub.ie/.

Producer: Mary Cunningham

Thanks to all the participants: Colie Hernon, Ciaran Oliver,  Colette Furey, Tina Concannon, Loretta Croke, Orla Curran,  Patrick Conneely and Daniel Concannon.
A special thanks to Brenda Foy who contributed to the podcast and helped out with recording.
Music by :JuliusH from Pixabay . https://pixabay.com/music/folk-celtic-irish-scottish-tin-whistle-background-music-10455/
Olexy from Pixabay.  https://pixabay.com/music/acoustic-group-morning-garden-acoustic-chill-15013/

This tells the story of my efforts to home 5 kittens born in my back garden and my involvement in a humane approach to controlling the feral cat population in my area . During this journey I came in contact with Galway Cat Rescue- a non-profit organisation devoted to cat welfare. Thanks to volunteer Jeanette the 5 kittens were neutered/ spayed along with the mother cat and a number of other strays. 

Martin, a geologist based in the university, is from Toulouse. His family background in sailing has helped him get to grips with sailing Hooker boats. 

Maria, a primary school teacher,  is from Cork. She came to Galway  while on a career break from teaching. The plan for the career break was to go travelling but Covid 19 put a stop to that. The alternative was to learn to sail and she certainly has done that. 

Meet Susanne Lally who joined the Galway Hooker Sailing Club in 2021 after meeting Ciaran Oliver on a walking tour of the Claddagh. Having completed the Hooker Skills Course she was out for her first sail four weeks following her registration.  Though she has no previous experience of  any water sports she is delighted with her new hobby and all the new people she has met in the club. 

Eileen Cameron from Co. Armagh tells us about her love of water sports. She has had lots of memorable moments while sailing and rowing. With all this she still finds time to publish the club newsletter, The Masthead,  every month.  

This month Mary and Brenda chatted with Clodagh Durkan who arrived in Galway in 2021 after being away from Ireland for over a decade. She decided to settle in the West to be near family and was delighted to join the Galway Hooker Sailing Club to meet people with a shared interest in water activities. She was just in time to lend a hand in the Loveen restoration project. 

A native of The Netherlands, but settled here since 2016, Sebastian is involved in a range of the club activities. Sailing, power boating, maintenance, VHF training and rowing with the Gráinne Mhaol Club. 

Mary and Brenda chat with Orla Curran a member of the Galway Hooker Sailing Club. Orla speaks about growing up around boats and that special feeling she gets when she is at the helm of the 95 year-old Gleoiteog Loveen which she helped restore. 

A chat with Italian native who came to live in Galway in 2015 because she liked a photo she saw on Google of Long Walk. Despite being very busy at work she finds time to sail, learn power boating skills, learn to row and join in KJS sessions. 

A native of Dublin, Tim Reddin now lives in Spiddal. He took up sailing in the 90s when he bought a small boat. With the help of a friend he figured out how to sail her. He has built up a lot of sailing experience since then and is always happy to share his knowledge with the Hooker Sailing Club which he joined to work on the restauration of Loveen. 

Maura Tomei came to Galway from Italy a year ago. The vibrant music scene was the initial attraction but she quickly fell in love with the sea and was curious about the hooker boats. She went along to the Docklands Festival last October where she found the club and started her sailing adventures. 

A chat with Gerry Hynes originally from Carraroe but living in Claddagh  since 1995.  Gerry has lots of skills which he uses to help in boat restoration. He is particularly proud of the work done to restore Caper Beag.  Its launch at the Docklands Festival last year was a special moment. 

 Daniel Cronin talks about the opportunities he has had in the Hooker Sailing Club to fulfil a long held ambition to learn to sail. He is also working on his powerboat skills and is looking forward to the day he gets to sail to the Aran islands. 

Tommy Keegan tells us about his time fishing on the river with his father, his interest in flying, sailing, power boating and making model hookers. A man of many talents. 

The Galway Hooker Sailing Club Newsletter is back with a profile of Molly Curran who is involved in boat restoration, power boating, rowing and of course sailing. 

Padraic Hernon joined the club in February 2022. Growing up on Inishmór he had lots of opportunities to work on all types of boats. sailing a boat however, is a n new experience that he is really enjoying. 

Mary Cunningham and Brenda Foy chat with Galway Hooker Sailing Club  member Elizabeth Steede


Music by Olexy on Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/music/acoustic-group-old-photos-acoustic-background-music-15489/

Mary Cunningham and Brenda Foy chat with Galway Hooker Sailing Club  member Gina Gardiner


Music by Olexy on Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/music/acoustic-group-old-photos-acoustic-background-music-15489/