Galway in Days Gone By

Galway In Days Gone By

Published

6 years ago

December 22, 2016

Enda Cunningham

A cup winning Oranmore camogie team pictured in 1967.

1916

Lest we forget

In Ireland this Christmas time there will be mourning in many homes for the brave lads who have given up their lives in the prosecution of the most dreadful war in history. But in other homes, too, there will be vacant chairs, and it is a melancholy and not a very heartening reflection to think that during this time of peace and goodwill these chairs have been rendered vacant because of the attitude of the Empire that claims to be called the protector and champion of small nationalities.

In the House of Commons on Wednesday night, the Irish Leader said “it was an extraordinary thing to think that at this moment there were being held in English prisons between 500 and 600 untried Irish prisoners”.

Some of these men have been close associates and companions of ours in the past. When the old spirit of Ascendancy had to be overcome, and when loyalty of Nationalist to Nationalist was a thing to take pride in, these men have fought by our side.

Of the policy which some of them advocated, this is not the place to speak. It may be that they were not wise in their day and generation; but, at the same time, when the mere party catch cries are put aside, and under the unifying influence of the season of peace and good will, we look upon them only as Irishmen and friends and co-workers of ours for the ideal of a united and independent nation.

Therefore, let us not forget to comfort and cheer the homes in which their absence has left a blank, which alone may be filled when sanity returns to the counsels of the British Empire.

There are others, alas, who can never return. Their bodies lie in unnamed graves, but memory remains as a melancholy legacy of England’s method of governing Ireland – even after years of experience.

The plea of Irishmen at the bar of British justice has failed; and, as in the darkest periods of her history, her sons and daughters will find consolation in appealing before a Throne that shall never pass away, though all the Empires of the world may fade and fail. – Editor.

1941

Expenses questioned

Three members of the Galway County Council who travelled to meetings by motor and billed the Council for car hire – in one case at the rate of £2 10s. per run from Clifden – are to be asked why they chose that method of travelling when they could have travelled much cheaper by ‘bus.

Mr. C.I. O’Flynn, County Secretary, pointed out that if members were to travel by motor to meetings the Council would have to face an enormous bill every year.

The claims for expenses were the first received under recent legislation which gave power to the Council to refund councillors the actual expenses reasonably incurred by them.

Brisk shopping trade

“It is amazing, but Galway’s pre-Christmas shopping crowd is bigger than ever; so is the flow of money for Christmas gifts,” a Tribune reporter was informed at each of the department stores at which he enquired this morning.

At the General Post Office, too, “busier than ever” was the state in which the hard-working staff found themselves. Although no American letters have as yet arrived, no less than one thousand money orders – averaging £6 – were received this morning, while for the five days preceding December 21st, 66,000 items of mail were dispatched.

Worse than slums

Dr. B. O’Beirne, County Medical Officer of Health, decided to serve notice on the Superintendent of the Athenry Agricultural College requesting him to have proper sanitary accommodation provided for four houses occupied by employees of the college, following a recent outbreak of fever.

Dr. O’Beirne said that it had been established that the outbreak was due to improper sanitary accommodation was most objectionable; the like of it would not be seen in the slums of Galway.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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Galway In Days Gone By

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Galway In Days Gone By

Galway in Days Gone By

Galway In Days Gone By

Published

16 hours ago

October 6, 2022

Stephen Corrigan

Looking into the future at Ballinasloe Fair in the early 1990s.

1922

Ballinasloe Show

Ballinasloe District Agricultural Show, held on Monday last, was a splendid success. Favoured by ideal weather, the attendance was a record one. Despite expectations to the contrary, the number of exhibits in every department was well up to the average, and in the cattle and sheep sections the number of entrants was nearly double that of any show held within the past few years, while the all-round quality of the exhibits showed a marked improvement and surpassed anything previously exhibited at the show.

Were it not for the postal strike, the exhibits would have been largely augmented, but taking everything into consideration, the show was indeed a very creditable one. In the horse section, the exhibits were remarkably good, and the judges had a very trying time in arriving at decisions. This can also be said of the cattle section, where the entrants were numerous and the quality particularly good.

Worthy of special note were the vegetables, the quality, despite the unfavourable season, being extra good – some of the exhibits being as good as any seen at the Dublin Show.

Not only was the arrangement good, but in the opinion of the judges, the quality was extremely good. The exhibits of fruit, though not plentiful, were very creditable to the exhibitors.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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Galway in Days Gone By

Galway In Days Gone By

Published

1 week ago

September 29, 2022

Stephen Corrigan

1922

Scabs warning

An exciting incident in connection with the postal strike occurred at Mary-st., Galway, at four o’clock last Saturday afternoon.

An official of the Galway Electric Lighting Company, Ltd., accompanied by another official, had gone to the central post office at Eglinton-street to collect the letters of the company. Shortly after he had left, it was alleged that he had taken other letters for delivery in Mary-street on his way back to the works.

The strike picket immediately gave chase, and an exciting scene, which was witnessed by a number of people in the street, followed.

The officials of the company were chased into the licensed premises of Mr. J. S. Young, but it could not be found that they had delivered any letters.

“We did not see them delivering any letters,” said one of the strikers. “Anyhow, an undertaking has been signed now not to attempt to deliver any to other people.”

A few national soldiers in uniform were standing at the Eglinton-street end of Mary-street during the incident. Four lady members of the staff at the Galway central office returned to work on Saturday and were understood to be engaged upon sorting of letters recently delivered by road.

It is stated that letters are also being posted at the central boxes. Meanwhile the picket remains almost continuously “on duty” outside the office, in front of which two boards have been place, one stating, “Don’t take letters from scabs”; and another “Restricted Services – Four do the work of forty-two”.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.

Galway in Days Gone By

Galway In Days Gone By

Published

2 weeks ago

September 22, 2022

Stephen Corrigan

Children examine the carcass of a 40-foot sperm whale, beached in Loughaunrone near Oranmore in September 1997. The whale was later burned on the beach as Council engineers were concerned about the danger of seepage if the giant mammal was buried.

1922

Connemara raids

The Publicity Department, Railway Hotel, Galway, issues the following: – Mr. Richard O’Toole, Lettermore, Connemara, has been forced to leave his home as a result of a raid made upon it by irregulars and subsequent threats.

A few nights ago, a party of men came to Mr. O’Toole’s home and demanded his motor bicycle. He refused to give it. The leader of the raiders, tapping his gun, said: “Do you see this?”

“Shoot away,” was Mr. O’Toole’s reply, and the raiders are then said to have gone to the garage to look for the machine. He managed, however, to get the machine, and to make his way to Galway. The men threatened that they would return to his house on the succeeding night and take him.

He was obliged to leave some men to mind his mother, who is very nervous, and falls into a faint when a raid takes place.

The house of Mr. Cloherty at Roundstone was also visited and about £40 worth of stuff taken. Mr. Cloherty is the father of Mr. J. J. Cloherty, a well-known County Councillor, and is a strong supporter of the Treaty.

A shop in Kilkerrin was also raided, and a considerable quantity of goods taken.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.