My Blogs

I am a musician, singer songwriter living in Galway, originally from Glasnevin in Dublin but now residing in Cloonboo a little village 7 miles north of Galway city which off course is now home.

You can use the player below to listen to my songs as you read and if you want to comment on same please do so on the comments page on my profile

I am the resident pianist guitarist and entertainer at Ashford Castle Cong County Mayo for the past 22 years performing nightly for the hotel guests which come from all over the world to stay.

In this series of Blogs I will endeavour to share with you some of the places, things of interest that I have discovered about Galway City and County whilst living here.

I will start with Galway City; Galway City has grown into a young vibrant city with a great love of music, the arts, dance etc.

 Like most cities in Ireland today it has a growing population of many nationalities, with particular emphases on eastern European nationalities

For me though, it is in the past history of Galway that there are things of interest.

At the junction of shop street (Main Street) and Abbey Gate Street there is an interesting early 16^th century tower house, which is Known as Lynch's Castle. It is now occupied a s bank, but not everyone knows that it's the oldest building in everyday commercial use in Ireland.

There is an ancient pub in Galway, one of many, known as The Kings Head an unusual name for a pub I thought when I had my first pint there some twenty five years ago, I mean The Queens Booze'em might have been more appropriate to attract drinkers etc. But how this pub got its name is nearly bazaar!!

It all came from the execution of King Charles the 1^st, who is thought to have been a Galway Man No less.

When he was to be executed, no English man would do the deed, so Oliver Cromwell sent out emails to Scotland, Wales and Ireland, and two men by the name of Gunning and Dean replied on their Dell Pentium Lap Top with instance, only to get a return email giving gunning the Job!

So he was flown 1^st Class on Ryan Air to Stan stead Airport and quickly transported to the Banqueting House In London where with a black hood over his head, he wielded the axe on poor Charlie, as Charlie uttered his last words " I GO FROM A CORRUPTIBLE TO AN INCORRUPTABLE CROWN".

Upon his return from London the parliament gave Gunning the property in appreciation for his efforts and it was duly named

THE KING'S HEAD.

Don't be put off, if your in Galway for a Break it's a great place to go for a night of fun music and crack, all the stunning Galway young maids with big bosoms hang out there, you'd want to mind, you wouldn't fall into your pint as your mind wanders where perhaps it shouldn't.

That's all for now

Hope you enjoyed the blog and the music

All the best

        Brendan