The Gas Works in Galway City, was a facility which derived Gas from Coal.
- This is also an entrance into the Porter Shed
- A Building and facility for Start Up individuals and Companies.
- This was in the 1800's, so pre-electrification - and the point of it was to provide Street Lighting.
- Its position was across the Road, and to the left from Brennan's Bar in the Galway Docks. Across from V.P. Motors, I suppose.
- Coordinates; 53.271784, -9.048966
- There were plenty of filthy jobs associated with the Docks, and this was one of them.
This era was prior to mechanical devices, so the Coal was literally shoveled by Man - "stokers". - The gas itself was probably Methane plus other contaminants.
- 11 large round ,Steel Tanks were later erected here, and they too were disposed of in 2009 - this site to become the Tent Village for the Volvo Ocean Race. This was a Shell facility, while the other Oil Companies had their fuel distributed through Leeside Oil near Galway Bay Seafoods.
- These Tanks contained some of the imported Petrol and Diesel, and there was always a fear that they would "blow up". In reality though, they were safe enough and came with a theoretical safeguard - that the lid would detach, and relieve the pressure?
- This was tested to some degree, when one of them caught fire during a welding / maintenance operation sometime in the late 90's. It didn't blow up.
- Bonham Quay, is being built on this site, now - 2019, 2020.
- There is an image below, of something like a House, but probably a Shed?
- Coordinates.- 53.272120°, -9.047893
- Another Photo below, is the remains of a Building with some wonderful Limestone Stone-masonry.
- 53.272190, -9.048154
- With a Tower Crane, to its West, in the current development (mar, 2020) of Bohnam Quay
An aside. The Houses in Rathylin Glebe in Ballybane, were fitted with Gas Meters to the front of each individual structure. This had nothing to do with the Docks or the Gas Works, and they were to use imported Gas contained in a localised Tank.
