Bright days for Galway = 1851

South Australian Register 22nd September, 1851 p3
Bright days seem to be in store for Ireland. The Midland Great Western Railway Company were making strenuous efforts to complete the works on their line to Galway. The rails had been laid down on the whole line, with the exception of a few miles, and there was no doubt but that they would have the line ready for traffic in a few weeks.

In the West of Ireland the most confident hopes were entertained that an American steamer would shortly appear in the Bay of Galway to test the advantages of that port for mail communication between America and Europe. These sanguine expectations were by no means unfounded. The Freeman stated that letters had been received in Dublin, announcing that the North America, a United States steamer of great power and marvellous speed, had been chartered to start on the 17th June from New York for Galway with passengers, and that she might be expected to appear off the west coast of Ireland about the 25th June. It would, therefore, appear that American enterprise had determined to settle a point which many English and certain Irish interests had pronounced dubious. The Belfast Chamber of Commerce, with a generous candour which will do that Chamber immortal honour, had presented a memorial to the British Government in favour of Galway.