The Sony A7RII does not perform well in low light and the sky had an unusual purple colour which was reflected by the water.
Claddagh is an area close to the centre of Galway city, where the River Corrib meets Galway Bay. It was formerly a fishing village, just outside the old city walls. It is just across the river from the Spanish Arch, which was the location of regular fish markets where the locals supplied the city with seafood as recently as the end of the 19th century. People have been gathering seafood and fishing from the area for millennia. It is one of the oldest former fishing villages in Ireland – its existence having been recorded since the arrival of Christianity in the 5th century.
During the 19th century the Claddagh attracted many visitors, including writers who spread its fame. The original village of thatched cottages was razed in the 1930s and replaced by a council-housing scheme.
The Claddagh is most famous internationally for the Claddagh ring, which is popular among those of Irish heritage as both a friendship and wedding ring. This traditional design consists of two clasped hands holding a crowned heart, and symbolises love, friendship and loyalty.
The Claddagh area contains a national school, Community Centre and a Catholic Church as well as the new Claddagh Arts Centre.
Notable natives of the area include Thomas Grady, recipient of the Victoria Cross.
ST. MARTIN DE PORRES SCULPTURE BY JAMES McKENNA – CHURCH ON CLADDAGH QUAY IN GALWAY
The first time that I tried to photograph this statue back in 2015 a lady in a large black SUV insisted on parking in such a manner as to block my view of this statue and she was very rude. I had to wait until my 2017 visit to get this photograph [in 2016 I forgot to photograph it].
Naomh Máirtín de Porres. The patron saint of mixed-race people and all those seeking interracial harmony.
Irish Sculptor, JAMES McKENNA (1933 – 2000)
This statue caught me by surprise as I had originally believed it to be a “Mother And Child” statue however it is a granite sculpture showing St. Martin de Porres in the act of pouring soup into a bowl for a hungry child while laying a comforting hand on the youngster’s head.
Martin de Porres Velázquez, O.P. (December 9, 1579 – November 3, 1639), was a Peruvian lay brother of the Dominican Order who was beatified in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI and canonized in 1962 by Pope John XXIII. He is the patron saint of mixed-race people, barbers, innkeepers, public health workers, and all those seeking racial harmony.
He was noted for his work on behalf of the poor, establishing an orphanage and a children’s hospital. He maintained an austere lifestyle, which included fasting and abstaining from meat. Among the many miracles attributed to him were those of levitation, bilocation, miraculous knowledge, instantaneous cures, and an ability to communicate with animals.
St. Mary’s Dominican church was designed by William Hague. With its rock-faced granite walls and finely detailed round-headed arches, this handsome church has often been described as being of Norman style. Features such as a carved tympanum and moulded surrounds at the front entrance as well as fine windows enliven the composition. This structure is a good example of the return of the Romanesque style linked with the Celtic Revival-style church architecture of the late nineteenth century. The well-preserved and decorated interior with its richly ornamented reredos, altar and font is especially worthy of note.
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