Remedial work on the playing fields, 1984-86
Item
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Format
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JPEG
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Title
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Remedial work on the playing fields, 1984-86
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Identifier
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VH0076
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Depiction
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A man on a tractor spreading sand from a hopper in parallel lines on a field.
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Description
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In the first photograph, John Connell from Menlo, one of the University grounds team, is seen working to improve the drainage of the Dangan sports fields. The second photograph shows Bernard Finan standing beside the tractor with John Connell on the left. A fuller view of the team involved is seen in photograph number three, while the fourth and fifth photographs show the early results of the work from different angles and at different stages.
In the mid 1980s the north campus playing fields, located in low-lying land near the River Corrib, were found to have drainage problems. A programme of work was undertaken to ensure that they could be used throughout the year. One method adopted was the creation of a network of intersecting slit trenches to eliminate surface water.
Since that time the Dangan Sports Campus has been developed to include two GAA pitches, two soccer pitches, a rugby pitch, a training pitch, a hockey pitch, an athletics track, tennis courts and a sports pavilion.
In the early days of the University managing the grounds was a much simpler task. The Calendar for 1897-1898 describes the outdoor amenities as follows: 'The Botanical Gardens, the cricket and football fields, the tennis and racquet courts are in the grounds surrounding the principal Building, as are also the Meteorological instruments, which are in charge of one of the College officers' (Calendar, p. 42).
The Galway campus now extends to 105 hectares along the River Corrib. The University also manages field stations in Finnavarra, and Carron in the Burren, and Carna in Connemara, all locations of exceptional importance for biodiversity.
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People
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John Connell
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Bernard Finan
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References
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- Personal communication: Bernard Finan, notes of interview with Donal Igoe, 2024.
- Queen's College Galway Calendar, 1897-1898 (Dublin: University Press, 1898), online at https://core.ac.uk/download/211408967.pdf, accessed 15 April 2024.
- Jamie Maxwell, Caitríona Carlin and Dara Stanley, 'Biodiversity Trail', https://www.universityofgalway.ie/biodiversitytrail/, accessed 15 April 2024.
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Bibliographic Citation
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B. Finan, J. Conroy, D. Igoe, 'Remedial work on the playing fields, 1984-86', Visual History Retired Staff Collection, University of Galway Digital Collections, Asset Id 14555, Archival Record Id VHRS
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Period
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1980s
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Category
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colour
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portrait
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landscape
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on-campus
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outdoors
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Publisher
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University of Galway Library
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Rights
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This image may be used for non-commercial purposes under CC BY-NC-SA see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
