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County Galway

An Ordinary Woman Who Lived An Extraordinary Life

By Eileen Murray

December/ January 2021

February 1, 2021 by 10 Comments

A profile of Bridget H. Murray, my mother. Bridget Harriet Collier filled the world with many things since she came into it on Tuesday, September 9, 1924: humor, kindness, love. Perhaps the only thing she was short on was complaints about the hardships she faced while raising her family. It’s why her birthday remains a day of celebration and remembrance among the Murray … [Read more...] about An Ordinary Woman Who Lived An Extraordinary Life

Get Your Irish Up!
At Galway’s Oyster Festival

By Seth Linder, Contributor
December / January 2001

December 1, 2000 by Leave a Comment

It's early evening and a vast room at Galway's Corrib Southern Hotel is lined with long rows of tables, laid for a banquet for over 600 people. Men in dinner jackets and bow ties make small talk with women in elegant ball gowns as their starters are served with military precision by a team of waitresses. Suddenly, a brass band marches into the room, strikes up a tune, and, in a … [Read more...] about Get Your Irish Up!
At Galway’s Oyster Festival

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May 10, 1869

The Transcontinental Railroad was completed. The first spikes were driven in 1863 during the Civil War, and over the following 6 year period, over 2,000 miles of track was laid entirely by hand over rugged terrain including the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Central Pacific Company built East from Sacramento, while the Union Pacific built West from Omaha, Nebraska. Both teams tried to beat the other’s record for track laying. The Central Pacific concocted a plan to lay 10 miles in a day. Eight Irish tracklayers put down 3,520 rails, while other workers laid 25,800 ties and drove 28,160 spikes in a single day. On May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, a golden spike was hammered into the final tie.

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