Galway in Days Gone By

Galway In Days Gone By

Published

4 years ago

August 30, 2018

Enda Cunningham

Eyre Square on a Fair Day in the 1890s when the item of trade appears to have been hay. Note the tram on its way to Salthill to the right of the photo.

1918

Women attack barracks

Members of the Galway branch Cumann na mBan, numbering about thirty, who left the city on Sunday for the purpose of carrying out evolutions, had an exciting encounter with police near Barna.

They were met on the outward journey by Sergeant Linnane, Barna, who returned to his barracks, and proceeded with constables after them. The police met the party of ladies marching back.

They appeared to be under the command of Mr. Henry Shield, St. Francis-st., Galway, whose instructions were obeyed. On nearing Barna police barracks, Sergeant Linnane asked Mr. Shiels for his name. The latter refusing, Sergeant Linnane placed him under arrest.

It is stated that Mr. Shiels struck the sergeant in the face. The constables having come to the assistance of the sergeant, the ladies attempted to rescue Mr. Shiels. In the scuffle, the police received rough handling, and had their caps knocked off, but eventually succeeded in placing their capture in the barrack cell.

A fusillade of stone and bottle firing on the barracks was indulged by the ladies, whose demeanour became so violent that they only ceased when a revolver shot was discharged in the air by one of the policemen.

Mr. Shiels was taken by motor to Eglinton-st. on Sunday night, and detained there until Wednesday evening, when he was handed over to the military authorities. He is stated to hail from Belfast, and fought in the 1916 Rebellion, in which one of his arms was injured. He has been residing in Galway for some months.

1943

Connemara blow

It is very unfortunate that the Great Southern Railways Company should have chosen this particular moment to increase substantially its rates for the carriage of goods by road to Connemara. West Galway has suffered more than any other part of this State from the Emergency conditions and the Connemara area in particular never was less fitted to endure additional burdens.

Doubtless, the railway company is strictly within its rights in increasing the rates for road transport, but if ever there was a case for the non-enforcement of those rights, it exists just now in Connemara.

Almost daily emigration is taking heavy toll of the population and those that are left are finding it very hard, indeed, to keep body and soul together in these bitterly lean years.

Connemara’s fight against the increase G.S.R. charges reached another stage on Sunday when, at a public meeting in Clifden, a deputation was appointed to interview the Minister for Industry and commerce on the subject.

It is possible that Counsel’s advice may be taken with a view to testing the legality of the G.S.R. action in removing the Galway-Clifden track.

Art gallery project

Negotiations between the Committee of the proposed Galway Arts Gallery and the Corporation have come to an end. The Committee took strong exception to the conditions laid down by Mr. C.I. O’Flynn, County Manager, for the establishment of a Municipal Art Gallery.

They also complain of the “scant courtesy” shown to them in their negotiations with the Corporation.

Nevertheless, the project of an art gallery for Galway goes ahead, and we understand that the Committee has acquired an alternative to the Borough Council Chamber as a home for the pictures.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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Galway in Days Gone By

Galway In Days Gone By

Published

5 days ago

January 26, 2023

Stephen Corrigan

Taking part in the West of Ireland Bridge Congress at UCG in April 1983 were Phil Carey, Newcastle, Eileen Murphy, Taylor's Hill, Carmel Howard, Cross Street and Claire Burke, Salthill. This year’s Bridge Congress is taking place next week at the Ardilaun Hotel from February 3 to February 5.

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.

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Galway in Days Gone By

Galway In Days Gone By

Published

2 weeks ago

January 19, 2023

Stephen Corrigan

Students Yvonne O’Byrne, Edel Comer, Janice Butler, Orla Casserley, Lisa Small, Sinéad Irvine, Emer Burke, Alva McManus and Ciara Hanley who took part in the Dominican College, Taylor's Hill, production of the musical 'My Fair Lady' at the Rosary Hall in January 1998.

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.

Galway in Days Gone By

Galway In Days Gone By

Published

3 weeks ago

January 12, 2023

Stephen Corrigan

Taking part in the Coláiste Iognáid production of A Tale of Two Cities in the Jesuit Hall, Sea Road, in February1998 were Cathal Cunningham, Michael Roche and Richard Curtin.

1923

Education is key

This week or the beginning of next, Irish boys and girls return to school. On the work that they do there during the succeeding years will largely depend the future of Ireland, for as the plant is bent, so shall the tree become.

Judged by the present day standard of ethics and conduct, something has been sadly lacking in the spiritual and secular training of the past.

Recently, a controversy – if it could be dignified with the name – has been running in the correspondence columns of the “Tribune”, on the future of education. It seems a thousand pities, if, indeed, it is not a definite national drawback, that intelligent men like national school teachers cannot discuss a subject that is of vital interest to them and their country in temperate language, without getting lost in a miasma of irrelevant abuse.

Yet it must be frankly and sadly confessed that those who have entered into correspondence on the subject have added little to the discussion. The controversy was begun by a contributor, who had very definite views, with which we did not altogether agree, but if the points at issue had been adhered to, it might have served a very useful purpose.

Teaching journals are clamouring that the general public do not take any interest in education. If to take an interest in education is to bring a hornets’ nest to one’s ears, then surely the invitation is a little ungracious.

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.