Galway in Days Gone By
Galway in Days Gone By
Record land price, Ashford Castle for sale, Rail service concerns and the Connemara Coast Road – it could be 2013!
1913
Record land price
On Saturday last, Mr. M.A. Kennedy, auctioneer, Athenry, put up for sale a small holding of land, with cottage. The yearly rent under judicial tenancy was £1 10s.
After brisk competition, it was knocked down at the record figure of £300, to a local resident, which is about 200 years’ purchase at the present rent. This is the highest price for land recorded during memory.
1938
Ashford for sale
Over one hundred workers employed on the Ashford estate, Cong, are greatly disturbed by the announcement that the estate and castle have been offered for sale.
Situated amidst perhaps the most beautiful scenery in Ireland, between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask, the property comprises a beautiful castle and 3,560 acres of pasture, tillage and woodlands. The woodcock shooting on the estate is believed to be the best in Great Britain or Ireland.
Ashford castle is the Connemara residence of the Hon. E. Guinness, who established a private sea-plane base on the Corrib in front of the castle.
There was a strong rumour afloat some months ago that the Corrib had been surveyed near Cong by a syndicate of the British Government for the purpose of establishing a sea-plane base in connection with coastal defence. This rumour was never officially denied.
1963
Rail concerns
Although 27 centres throughout the country whose railway services were recently amputated or curtailed are envious of Loughrea’s improved service, many people in Loughrea are convinced that CIE is doing its best to close down the local branch-line.
Railway business in Loughrea last year is stated officially to have made a very handsome profit – £24,000 – and the volume of trade far exceeded that at Ballinasloe.
Despite that, however, new systems evolved whereby goods dispatched by rail from Galway for such places in the Loughrea postal and rail district as Duniry and Woodford are now being unloaded at Ballinasloe for delivery by lorry.
As Woodford is only fourteen miles from Loughrea, it is difficult to understand the economics of such a service. Traders from Woodford and district, who are able to get goods a day or two earlier via Loughrea, cannot too easily figure out why the new system has been introduced.
1988
Road demand
A call has been made to upgrade the coast road in Connemara where traffic has been so heavy in recent weeks that small villages like Spiddal have experienced rare traffic jams. The road from Galway City to Carna in West Connemara has more than the average volume of passing traffic required to be classified as a national secondary road.
An urgent call has been made by Udaras na Gaeltachta’s Sean O Neachtain to speed up the process to have the road upgraded.
For the full archive of all our newspapers see Archives For our photo archives see Photos
1923
Training ex-soldiers
A meeting of the committee of Galway Technical Institute was held on Tuesday, Mr. Eraut presiding.
The secretary, Dr. Webb, stated that there was a deputation outside from the Galway Carpenters’ Society in reference to the offer made by the Ministry of Labour to the committee to have up to 100 ex-soldiers trained in the institute in various crafts from joinery to thatching houses and making tin cans.
The difficulty he foresaw in regard to the scheme was to train maimed ex-solders and for this the Ministry of Labour was willing to give the committee 15s. per head per week. It was a money-making scheme so far as that committee was concerned, and would result in bringing a good deal of money into the city, because there would also be certain allowances for the wives and dependents.
He estimated that it would mean something like £200 or £300 per week. It was a question for the committee whether they would provide these classes. He had inquired from an authoritative source whether the training of these men would be likely to interfere with the employment of the recognised carpenter, and he was informed in the negative.
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.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
1923
Islanders’ distress
A correspondent sends authentic particulars of distress prevailing in the Islands of Aran. There is extreme poverty in Inishmore, especially in Killeany; large numbers in the village are on the verge of starvation, kept alive by the charity of neighbours, with scarcely a healthy child amongst them.
The people own no land, notwithstanding that the Congested Districts Board has a large tract; they fish and labour when the former is profitable or practicable and when the work can be found. To-day they are without either.
Similar stories come from other island villages. Yet last October Mr. Blythe stated in the Dáil that £1,000 had been granted for the relief of distress on the islands. The money was placed at the disposal of the Galway Rural District Council, which refused to have anything to do with the scheme.
Accordingly, the grant was never made. It is alleged that the inhabitants of Inishmore have refused to pay rates, but islanders state in reply that rates were not collected for some two years, nor were demand notes issued. The whole position is so grave that it should be looked into without further delay, and we understand that all the circumstances have been referred to Deputy O’Connell for this purpose.
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.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
1923
Narrow escape
A party of four men, who arrived in the village in a motor-car, engaged in a murderous attack on the barracks occupied by the unarmed Civic Guard at Ahascragh, Ballinasloe, about three a.m. on Wednesday.
Shots and bombs were fired through the windows, and some of the sleeping guards had narrow escapes from bullets, and subsequently had to dash through the petrol-inspired flames for safety.
The village is a peaceable one, and the Guards have recently been carrying out their work in it with quiet efficiency. During the recent warfare, there had been no disturbance in the neighbourhood.
The Guards retired as usual on Tuesday night, and about three a.m. on Wednesday morning they were awakened by the crash of rifles.
A moment later flames sprang up, and it was seen that the barracks had been sprinkled with petrol and fired. Bombs were first fired through the windows, then petrol was thrown in, and the place was set on fire.
The small body of four Guards found themselves compelled to seek shelter from the bullets, and then they had to make a dash to escape the flames that were springing up around them.
Sergeant Rodgers had an exceedingly narrow escape, a bullet grazing his head. Guard Grimes was sleeping beneath a window when it was broken and petrol thrown over his head.
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.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Údarás defends financial support of companies on east side of Galway City
Gardai and Emergency Services attending the scene of a Road Traffic Accident on N63
‘Gobbledegook’: Galway 2020’s language on €1m legacy funding spend
Taoiseach “shares frustration” around construction delays at University Hospital Galway
Protest is held at The Skerritt Roundabout over dangerous conditions for cyclists and pedestrians in the city
Jurys name to disappear after 30 years in Galway
Night porter attacked wife and her son in family home
Group of up to 10 rowers rescued from River Corrib in Galway
Galway pubs braced for backlash after massive price hike
New Sportage continues line of reliability from Kia
