Skehana & District Down Memory Lane

30/10/2026

ALL WELCOME

Reminder Skehana & District Heritsge Group AGM next tuesday evening 8pm

Heritage Group AGM

The Skehana & District Heritage Group AGM which will be held on Tuesday November 3rd 2026 at 8pm in the Esker Room at Skehana Community Development. As always we will present a summary of our achievements for the past year while in addition to presenting a comprehensive report on our finances. We look forward to welcoming our current membership back once again and we would also like to welcome new members. Over the past few AGM’s we have been most fortunate to welocme new members who have brought new and refreshing ideas, their own individual talents and a strong work ethic. That said we always have space for more so if you have an interest in local heritage this opportunity is for you.

We would especially like to reach out to some younger members from our community and district where we would welcome support with our efforts to communicate through social media and our website. This will offer you the opportunity to engage in a group environment as opposed to a personal platform and will present new and exciting learning opportunities that will be of mutual benefit. All are most welcome to attend.

20/09/2026

Fantastic Culture Night!

18/09/2026

Culture Night tonight!

NEWSFLASH .... NEWSFLASH .... NEWSFLASH - Culture Night.

Culture Night 2026 is almost upon us here in Skehana and we have a great line-up as we reflect upon and remember the lives of two giants of Skehana – the late Tom Costello and the late Fr. Pat O’Brien. Our masters of ceremony for the occasion will be Emma Laffey and Paddy Curley who have put in a herculean effort to put an incredible format together. There will be performances on stage and interviews on a floor placed podium.

Carmel Dempsey and Mike Stewart will entertain us with appropriate songs and music in between of guest appearance. Our own Carmel Costello and Michael Connolly will be performing as well as sharing their own recollections of a golden era of festivals and sessions along with Sean Conneely and Fergal Costello, who will also be reading a poem penned by Pat while Marie Curley and Gerry Lally will turn the clock back to perform an excerpt from one of Pat’s plays.

We also have some very special guests for the event that include renowned poet, playwright and author Michael Harding and his wife Cathy Carman who lived in Windfield Road for many years and were married in Skehana church in 1993. We will have Fr. Dan O’Mahony from Ballaghderreen, a brother of the late John, who captained St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, to win the 1976 Sigerson Cup in Croke Park, a team managed by Pat O’Brien. The star of that game as reported by the Irish Independent was none other than Fr. Pat Donnellan who will also be with us this evening. We will have Billy Connelly and Tom Craddock from Caherlistrane where Pat was Parish Priest for the fifteen years before his passing in 2021. All of these guests will be making contributions throughout the evening.

Sean Silke, a long time friend of Pat hopes to be with us though he has a family engagement in Galway until about 9pm. In addition we have received messages of good luck from James Harrold former head Arts & Culture at Galway County Council and Rita Ann Higgins as both of them have long standing commitments elsewhere for Culture Night. Eleanor Shanley is performing in The Devils in the Dancehall in Cork and also sends her good wishes to us. Thanks to all.

The final acts will be the launch of Mary J. Murphy’s wonderful publication, “Patrick O’Brien Pastor, Poet, Pilgrim” by Pat’s family members his brothers Martin and Finian and Finian’s wife Trish, following a contribution from Mary J. On the background to and the spark that ignited this incredible publication.

08/09/2026

18/08/2026

New signage for our Famine Burial Ground in Skehana. These sites will be consecrated along with a mass at 7pm Garbally castle in memory of all those that perished during the famine. Tea and light refreshments afterwards in Skehana Community centre.

09/08/2026

Camogie! Galway Abú

No 3. Throwback

PHOTO: With thanks to Gerry Costello

c1980/90s Skehana Camogie Team

Names with thanks to Carol Murray

Back Row: Rachel Jackson Tina Hansberry, Helen Mellody , Mary Gormally, Emer Cosgrove, Concepta Quirke, Anita Kelly, Karen Kelly, Denise Costello, Yzanne Cloonan

F row: Emer Costello, Siobhan McHugh, Nuala Donnellan, Paula Kelly, Donna Hansberry, Louise Jackson, Fionnuala Hughes, Caroline McHugh

09/08/2026

Camogie No. 2 throwback

PHOTO: With thanks to Maidie Broderick

c1950's Menlough Camogie Club at match just outside Ballinasloe

Back L-R Lilly Madden Pauline Hopkins Mun McElwaine Tom Bellew Patsy Walsh ? Kathleen Fahy Kathleen Lally ?Kelly Breda Flaherty

Front L-R Benny Maloney Una Mitchell Maureen Mahony Bridie Higgins Vic? Lally

09/08/2026

Camogie! Galway Abú

For the day that is in it. Menlough winners in 1950s details in original post.

PHOTO: With thanks to Kathleen Dempsey nee Fahy (Carnacregg Menlough) and her daughter Breda Malone

Menlough Camogie team early 1950's they WON their County final that year representing Galway in Mayo against a Mayo team

Photo taken by The Maloney family

Back row R-L Referee Kathleen Fahy

Maureen Maloney(Menlough) Benny Maloney (Menlough) Maureen Lally(Vermount) Lily Madden (Fohenagh) Pauline Hopkins (Fohenagh)Kitty Connolly (Menlough) Catherine? Donnellan (Castleblakeney) not sure of the rest! Feel free to fill in the gaps for us...

16/06/2026

Please support this local event and in aid of a great cause Galway Hospice

We are delighted to launch today a very special event that will be held within our Club on July 25th this year ✨

A memorial tournament in honour of a dear friend and dedicated supporter, Norah Owens who sadly passed away in November 2024.

The Club together with her wonderful family, are running this tournament as part of a fundraising day which will conclude with an auction in Screenes Bar Guilka that night.

All proceeds from the day will be donated to Galway Hospice, as a gesture of appreciation for the wonderful care that was shown to Norah.

This promises to be a wonderful day and night, a community event for everyone to attend, in the honour of Norah ⭐️💞

So please spread the word, mark it in your calendar and share a few euros through the idonate page if you can. Every little helps 🙏

Please click on the link below to donate ⤵️

https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/owensfamily

04/06/2026

Beautiful photo. Bernard Scanlon originally from Polnabrone Menlough.

c1910

Bernard Scanlon, founder of Scanlons Shop in Ballygar, with his mother Nell. This photo was taken at Hills photographic studio in Galway in around 1910. Bernard orginally came from Polnabrone, Menlough, Co. Galway, his mother and father were from the same townland. Bernard moved to Ballygar a few years before this photo was taken. He worked as a shop assistant for the McDonnells who had a thriving business at the Mt Talbot end of town (this business was later purchased by the Pettit's). Some members of the McDonnell family were to meet a tragic end when they were murdered at their new home at 'La Mancha' in Malahide, Dublin, 100 years ago this year. It remains the largest mass murder committed in Ireland post independence. After serving his apprenticeship Bernard opened up his own shop in Ballygar, many of us remember his son Patsy in that same shop in the 1970's and early 80's. (special thanks to my great friend, Brian Scanlon, for this beautiful photo. Colorised by Pat McPhilbin)