St Simons

St Simon's in Patrick was founded by Derry priest Fr Daniel Gallagher to serve the huge influx of Irish immigrants in the mid-19th century.

Father Gallagher held the first Roman Catholic services in the West End of Glasgow in 1855 after his studies in Rome and was ordained in 1837.

St Simon's was built in Gothic style in 1858 by Charles O’Neill and known originally as St Peter’s. A century later it was renovated in 1956 by Gillespie, Kidd & Coia, the great modernist architects who designed many Catholic churches of the era.

David Livingstone, the greatest African explorer, reportedly told the story that he only escaped from the dye works at Blantyre because Fr Gallagher taught him Latin, which let him qualify to study medicine at Glasgow University.

Fr Gallagher opened St Simon's Partick Bridge St in 1858 calling it St Peter’s. It is the third oldest Catholic church in Glasgow.

The Partick Bridge Street building served as an extension (known as the Bridge St Chapel) until the Second World War when soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces who had escaped the Nazis and who were based in Yorkhill Barracks needed a church. They would march to church on a Sunday.

Since then the building has also been known as the Polish Church.

St Simon's Parish Church was destroyed in a deliberate blaze in 2021 with the cost to rebuild the historic site estimated to be at around "several million" pounds.

The B-listed building on Partick Bridge Street was left "extensively damaged" with only four walls remaining after Ryan Haggerty, who was living in homeless accommodation close to the church, set it on fire.

Information courtesy of Glasgow Live

 

Ross Hall Hospital

 Ross Hall was a small mansion house on the south side of the city .

It was built by James Cowan JP in 1877,in 1890 he commissioned James Pulham and Son who were famous landscape gardeners  to remodel the garden, when finished it was considered to be one of the finest in Scotland.

In 1908 the estate was sold to Sir Fredrick Lobnitz,a wealthy shipyard owner, by 1948 the estate was sold to Glasgow Corporation eventually the building was converted to a hospital with many modern additions.

Ross Hall Park is open to the public but little remains of the original garden, in spite of this its still a pleasant walk.

The Saint Vincent Street Church

 

The Saint Vincent Street Church was designed by Alexander Thomson in 1859 and was originally used by the United Presbyterian Church. The church is now owned by Glasgow City Council. The building was listed in the 1998 World Monuments Watch, and the tower was restored

However, the church is no longer in use and is falling into decay. It has lain unused since 2021.

 

Glasgow Arts Club Bath Street Blythswood Hill

The Glasgow Arts Club was founded in 1867. It currently resides at 185 Bath Street. 

 

During the 19th century the club was originally to be found at 151 Bath Street but moved to 185 Bath Street when two townhouses were converted by John Keppie. The club formally opened in 1893. 

The young Charles Rennie Mackintosh was involved in some of the decorative details, and also a mural for the club. 

 

 

 

 

MacKinnnon's

The Gallowgate pub beside Barrowland Park and often saw revellers before concerts and football matches.

A Glasgow pub known for its rare licence to sell alcohol at 08:00 has closed after 37 years.

MacKinnnon's in the Gallowgate closed at the end of May with the owners citing health reasons.

The Ross family has run the business since 1987, but it first opened as a pub in 1815.

Information curtesy of BBC SCOTLAND