When historian John Cunningham was initially approached about producing a book to commemorate the 200th anniversary of James Hardiman’s renowned History of the Town and the County of Galway, he wasn’t sure he wanted to do it. The idea had come from an Australian academic publisher who was interested in expanding to this side of the world.

John, who lectures in history at the University of Galway didn’t immediately agree to take on the project, although he likes Hardiman’s History.

“I use his book a lot in my teaching,” he explains. “It’s a window into 19th century Galway for students, with a local historian writing about it.”

Shortly after that approach, John was on holidays in the Italian town of Matera – where residents lived in hillside caves until the 1960s – and wished there was a publication that gave more insight into this extraordinary place.

“I also felt something like that was needed in Galway.”

John returned to the notion of celebrating Hardiman and felt this could be done in a way that would pay homage to the historian’s 19th century publication while also offering an insight into the history and arts of Galway City from that period until current times. And the timing was good, because 2020 would coincide with the designation of Galway as European cultural capital.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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