The Library at Queen's College Galway c. 1906
Item
Format
JPEG
Title
The Library at Queen's College Galway c. 1906
Identifier
VHG0033
Depiction
A picture of a library showing two people (woman & man) sitting at desks across from which are a group of five – one woman and four men also sitting at desks. Several tall cabinets containing books are also to be seen as are lamp fixtures suspended from the ceiling.
Description
The Library extended along the first floor of the North side of the Quadrangle building and was over 150 feet in length. The Librarian, when a picture of the library was taken in about 1906, was Valentine Steinberger, Professor of Modern Languages (1886 – 1916).
James Hardiman (1782-1855), the noted historian and antiquarian, was appointed to the post of Librarian in 1849 by the first President of the University, Reverend Joseph W. Kirwan. Hardiman died in 1855 and was succeeded as Librarian in 1856 by John Richardson, who produced the first printed catalogue of the collections in 1864 – he resigned as Librarian in 1876 (www.library.universityofgalway.ie).
Richardson’s successor was D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson (Professor of Greek (1864 to 1902) who took over in 1877as Acting Librarian and he held the post up to his death in 1902 . Valentine Steinberger, Professor of Modern Languages (1886 – 1916), served as Librarian from 1902 until his death in 1916
Prof. John Howley, Professor of Philosophy was Librarian from 1917 up his retirement in 1936 (A. Keaveney 'Classics in Victorian Galway', 1999, p. 331).
The Library was then run by the Library Clerk, Michael Fahy, with Christy Townley as his Assistant, under the direction of the Library Committee, when the practice of appointing a Professor, as also Librarian, was discontinued from 1936. Upon Mr. Fahy’s retirement in 1960, Christy Townley was left on his own to manage the Library and he was appointed in 1966 as the first full-time and non-Professorial Librarian. He retired in 1982. The Library was moved from the Quadrangle to purpose-built accommodation in 1973, in the planning of which Christy played a central role (R. O’Neill 'Modern Languages', 1999, p.369).
Alf MacLochlainn was appointed Librarian in 1982 and he retired in 1987. Pat O' Connell was then appointed as Acting Librarian until 1991 when Marie Reddan was appointed as Librarian. She retired in 2008 and was succeeded by John Cox as Acting Librarian. John Cox was appointed Librarian in 2009 and he retired in 2023. He was succeeded by Monica Crump as Acting Librarian (University Calendars).
James Hardiman (1782-1855), the noted historian and antiquarian, was appointed to the post of Librarian in 1849 by the first President of the University, Reverend Joseph W. Kirwan. Hardiman died in 1855 and was succeeded as Librarian in 1856 by John Richardson, who produced the first printed catalogue of the collections in 1864 – he resigned as Librarian in 1876 (www.library.universityofgalway.ie).
Richardson’s successor was D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson (Professor of Greek (1864 to 1902) who took over in 1877as Acting Librarian and he held the post up to his death in 1902 . Valentine Steinberger, Professor of Modern Languages (1886 – 1916), served as Librarian from 1902 until his death in 1916
Prof. John Howley, Professor of Philosophy was Librarian from 1917 up his retirement in 1936 (A. Keaveney 'Classics in Victorian Galway', 1999, p. 331).
The Library was then run by the Library Clerk, Michael Fahy, with Christy Townley as his Assistant, under the direction of the Library Committee, when the practice of appointing a Professor, as also Librarian, was discontinued from 1936. Upon Mr. Fahy’s retirement in 1960, Christy Townley was left on his own to manage the Library and he was appointed in 1966 as the first full-time and non-Professorial Librarian. He retired in 1982. The Library was moved from the Quadrangle to purpose-built accommodation in 1973, in the planning of which Christy played a central role (R. O’Neill 'Modern Languages', 1999, p.369).
Alf MacLochlainn was appointed Librarian in 1982 and he retired in 1987. Pat O' Connell was then appointed as Acting Librarian until 1991 when Marie Reddan was appointed as Librarian. She retired in 2008 and was succeeded by John Cox as Acting Librarian. John Cox was appointed Librarian in 2009 and he retired in 2023. He was succeeded by Monica Crump as Acting Librarian (University Calendars).
References
https://library.universityofgalway.ie/about/history/.
Rosaleen O’Neill 'Modern Languages' in Tadhg Foley (ed.), From Queen’s College to National University (Dublin, 1999), p. 369.
A rthur Keaveney 'Classics in Victorian Galway' in Tadhg Foley (ed.), From Queen’s College to National University (Dublin, 1999), p. 331.
University Calendars, Special Collections, University of Galway Library.
Rosaleen O’Neill 'Modern Languages' in Tadhg Foley (ed.), From Queen’s College to National University (Dublin, 1999), p. 369.
A rthur Keaveney 'Classics in Victorian Galway' in Tadhg Foley (ed.), From Queen’s College to National University (Dublin, 1999), p. 331.
University Calendars, Special Collections, University of Galway Library.
Contributor
Bibliographic Citation
Marie Reddan, S.G. Jennings, ‘The Library at Queen's College Galway c. 1906’, Visual History Retired Staff Collection, University of Galway Digital Collections, Asset Id 14184, Archival Record Id VHRS
Spatial Coverage
Temporal Coverage
Period
1900s
Category
colour
group
on-campus
indoors
Language
English
Publisher
University of Galway Library
Rights
This image may be used for non-commercial purposes under CC BY-NC-SA
see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/