1924

Rebuilding bridges

In the West Riding of County Galway, no fewer than sixty bridges were broken during the recent troubles. Of these, only three were damaged in pre-truce times: the main damage, which resulted in considerable loss, inconvenience and practical isolation of the rural areas concerned, was the direct result of our own internecine quarrels.

Fortunately, almost within a single year the damage has been in great part repaired. Of the sixty bridges damaged, forty-two have been in great part repaired; the others are on a fair way to completion. At the beginning it was found necessary to execute temporary repairs in order that the roads might be made immediately available for traffic.

These ran to a considerable amount of money; in many cases the work was carried out with difficulty at the urgent request of the people of the district.

In the West Riding, the temporary repairs amounted to £3,666, whilst the cost of permanent repairs carried out to date is £5,203, and the estimated of the repairs still to be carried out is £6,836, or a grand total of £15,705. To this must be added £308 already expended on temporary repairs in the Eastern Division of the county; £1,003 expended on permanent repairs, and an estimated amount of £2,574 for the repairs still to be executed.

Pictured: Prizewinners at Athenry Agricultural Show on September 18, 1976. Front, from left: Michelle O’Connor, Portumna, Anita Cahalan, Athenry and Mary Cooley, Abbeyknockmoy. Back, from left: Carmel Hansberry, Marie Ruane and Eileen Kennedy, all from Athenry.