Galway in Days Gone By

Galway In Days Gone By

Published

4 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

3 days ago

June 17, 2021

Stephen Corrigan

During an ESB power strike in April 1972, petrol pumps had to be operated with a winder, but Declan Forde of Prospect Hill, Gawlay City, found a more novel way of doing it - using a bicycle. The back tyreless wheel of the bicycle was connected to the pump by a belt, with the pedals rotating as petrol was pumped. Declan commented at the time: "This unique method brought us more customers, because by using the bike we pumped the petrol three times faster than the ordinary ESB current." Also in the photograph are Pat Kenehan (right) watching Joe Flaherty operate the pump.

1921

Bad buying policy

It is interesting and useful to speculate how far the conditions that prevailed at Galway great annual fair on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week were due to its postponement on the one hand, and to the circumstances of our time on the other.

No doubt, the enforced adjournment and the uncertainty as to when the fair would be held combined to reduce the attendance.

It is possible that stock which, in the ordinary course, would have been taken to the fair had it been held at the appointed time, were disposed of by other means. Against this we have the fact that the fixture in point of attendance and sales was smaller than a normal monthly fair.

The truth is that cumulative causes contributed to its partial failure. Of these the postponement was only incidental. Only 159 wagon loads of stock left Galway during the two days against 259 at the annual fair last year and 360 the previous year.

Whilst the Midland Great Western Railway Company did all that could have been expected in the circumstances to assist in making the fair a success, the Great Southern did practically nothing at all. Six wagons were placed at the disposal of purchasers by the latter company on the Limerick-Sligo branch.

This is illustrated by the fact that most of those who attended Galway fair arrived on the evening before; few ventured to make the journey on the actual morning of the fair. Again, buyers report that owing to the difficulties of transport, and the recent unnecessary foot and mouth scare, they cannot tranship cattle to anything like the same extent as formerly, and owning to the prolonged drought, there is a shortage of grass for grazing in the rich midland counties where extensive buyers keep their stock from one fair to the other.

Apart from these causes, another much more interesting explanation is given. It is suggested is that the country farmer has not yet realised that there is a considerable drop in prices, and has not adapted himself to the new conditions.

This fall, it is clamed, is likely to be retrogressive under present conditions. The cost of living is falling, and must fall still further in order to restore “the economic balance”. Yet farmers prefer to hold back their stock in expectation, apparently, that something like old prices will be restored, rather than part with them. This, a cattle-buying expert informs us, is bad policy.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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Galway in Days Gone By

Galway In Days Gone By

Published

2 weeks ago

June 3, 2021

Stephen Corrigan

High fashion at the Athenry Show on September 2, 1972.

1921

Careless farmers

The unfavourable spring and summer of 19230 were not altogether accountable for the partial failure of last season’s potato crop. Planting was deferred until three or four weeks after the usual time, and the spraying of the crop was very carelessly carried out.

Not more than half the usual quantities of spraying materials were sold last year in County Galway. The wagon loads of potatoes which County Galway consumers were obliged to get from other parts of Ireland to go to prove the care and attention taken from growers in other counties.

To meet the increased cost of labour and manures farmers must grow heavier crops, and avoid risks as far as possible. To do so, spraying must be carried out efficiently.

County Galway, with 24,000 Irish acres of potatoes, is the second county in Ireland in respect of area. The total yield in 1920 was about 100,000 tons below that of an average year, which was a serious loss to the farmers and a hardship on the townspeople.

We hope that the lesson of 1920 will not be forgotten, and that farmers will this year spray in time and thoroughly.

One of the farmer’s chief difficulties is keeping of his crops free from weeds. Unfortunately in this important matter some of our farmers are rather careless. They do not realises – probably through lack of education in the matter – that where a crop is allowed to get weedy, the material resources of the land are being doubly taxed, and the crop which it is intended to grow cannot be a viable, much less a financial success.

The farmer has no power over some of the circumstances which determine the success or failure of a crop, and it is, therefore, a short-sighted policy for him not to use every means in his power to check weeds over which he has complete control.

Our attention has been directed to this matter by the number of cornfields in some districts, which are covered with the weed well-known to farmers as “Baráiste”.

We cannot estimate the extent of the damage caused year after year to our corn crops, but it must be very considerable. The yield of gran is greatly reduced, and the quality seriously impaired.

Modern science has given us a simple, effective, remedy involving little labour. This remedy has been used successfully for some years past by the best of our farmers, but we deeply regret the lack of enthusiasm displayed by many of our tillers in connection with the destruction of this objectionable weed.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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Galway in Days Gone By

Galway In Days Gone By

Published

3 weeks ago

May 27, 2021

Stephen Corrigan

Galway Sheep Breeders 49th Annual Show at Athenry Mart on September 21, 1972.

1921

Village halls

Young men and women of the present day expect and obtain more time for recreation than their parents. The monotony of young lives in the country districts leads to a desire to leave comfortable homes for the towns, or to emigrate.

In this work of reconstruction, which we hope will not long be delayed every means by which the young people can be induced to remain on the land must be considered.

Village halls can be made to play an important part in this respect by providing facilities for recreation and enabling those with progressive tendencies to continue with their reading and education after leaving the national schools.

To encourage a taste for reading and the acquirement of useful knowledge, every hall should be provided with a small library containing a selection of suitable books. The erection and equipment of such halls should not be left to voluntary effort, but should be looked upon as a national duty for which public money ought to be provided, and for which the country would be repaid in an enlightened, industrious and efficient rural population.

Custom House attacked

A large force of armed men raided the Custom House, Dublin, at one point on Wednesday, held up the staff and set fire to the building, which was completely destroyed. Yesterday morning the flames could be seen issuing from the surrounds.

The many Government departments in the building included the offices of the Local Government Board, Customs and Excise, Inland Revenue, the Old Age Pensions, and their valuable documents have been reduced to ashes.

From the housetops and the streets of Dublin on Wednesday afternoon, thousands witnessed the aftermath of one of the most serious assaults made by the I.R.A. upon the institutions of the Crown – the burning of the famous Custom House.

Following the burning, nearly a score were killed or wounded in a battle between the I.R.A. and R.I.C. Auxiliaries of the F and Q Companies.

The building was so badly devastated that to-day only the walls and a portion of the Local Government Board Office are still standing.

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.