Welcome to the County Galway  Resource Center
IRELAND
Part of the WorldGenWeb Project

This site...The pages contained in this website are meant for the purpose of historical genealogical research.

Galway Geographical Information

County Galway (Irish: Contae na Gaillimhe) is located on the west coast of Ireland. It is in the Irish province of Connacht. The county takes its name from the city of Galway. It is the second largest county in Ireland, after County Cork. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county. The population of the county at the April 2006 census was 159,052 (Figure does not include that of Galway City as it is a separate administrative unit).

Queries relating to specific families should go to one of the query forums listed or contact the  Ireland County Coordinator.

The Origin and Signification of the Name of Galway - Galway took its name from a foreign colony alleged to have settled there at an early period. Tradition informs us, that previously to the arrival of Henry II, Galway was but an inconsiderable fishing village, under the protection of an Irish dune or fortress.

Old Irish Naming Pattern - In search for names of your Irish ancestors, it might be helpful to identify a family that is related to your by the names in each family. Below is a typical pattern the Irish families would us when naming their children.

Irish Family Mottos - This site won the Links2go award in July 1998
There are 350 Irish surnames listed together with their mottos and their meanings

Eighteenth & Nineteenth Century Census Substitutes, provided by Patrick Hogan  - Here is a list of various records that could help in your research where standard public documents have not produced the results you need. Search any of the titles listed in an Internet Search engine to find out more.

Irish Emigrant Publications -  READ ABOUT -On the 24th April 1916, it was Easter Monday in Dublin, the second city of the extensive British Empire which long included, among its captured dominions, the four provinces of Ireland. At four minutes past noon, from the steps of Dublin's General Post Office, the President of the Provisional Government, Patrick Pearse, read the Proclamation of Independence.

The First Arrival To Ellis Island - She was Annie Moore, a thirteen year old girl from Ireland, the first immigrant to step foot at the newly opened Ellis Island Immigration Station. The year was 1892. They celebrate Annie’s heritage every March 17, on St. Patrick’s Day! 

The Origin of the Rosary - Theologians have traced the origin of the Rosary back to the Ninth century as a form of prayer that evolved in the monasteries of the early Irish church. Prayer and labor filled the days of the Irish monks, and one of the most important forms of monastic prayer was the daily chanting of the 150 psalms of David. Lay people around the monastery would hear the psalms every day as they were sung or recited, and the beauty of this form of prayer intrigued them. They yearned to join in, but the psalms were too long to memorize, copies could not be found since printing was rare, and few knew how to read Latin anyway.