Galway in Days Gone By

Galway In Days Gone By

Published

5 years ago

October 4, 2018

Our Reporter

Some of the delegates who attended the annual convention of the Galway County Board of the GAA in Athenry in January 1957. Included in the group are Rev M. Walsh, CC, Portumna, Chairman; Messrs. J. Whelan, Killimor, Secretary; T. O'Connor, Registrat; P. Ruane, Treasurer; P. Naughton, Chairman, North Board, and M. Sylver, Chairman, South Board.

1918

Fiercest gale

Following the wettest month for forty years, came during last week-end the fiercest gale within living memory. On Saturday night the wind blew with hurricane force to the accompaniment of fierce showers of hail and rain.

The aerodrome at Oranmore suffered severely. The groundsmen under canvas had a particularly bad night of it, but the pilots and observers were safely housed in the old Militia shed. The canteen and tents were blown down and the soldiers had to seek quarters where they could shelter. The storm also played havoc with the tents along the railway line, which, we understand, are to be replaced by huts at an early date.

Pedestrianism along the promenade at Salthill was conducted with difficulty, as the wind blew violently through the open channel of the Bay. Cycling against it was a virtual impossibility.

Family record in war

Sergt. Tom Macken, 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, of Eyre-st., Galway, who recently volunteered from Malta for service on the western front, was wounded on Sept. 20. His brother, Walter, was killed in the battle of the Somme last year. Another brother, John, is at present in hospital suffering from wounds.

Coachbuilders’ strike

Twenty coachbuilders employed at Messrs Hughes’, Fahy’s, & Dowler’s works struck work on Monday for higher wages and shorter hours. The men state they have been working from 7a.m. till 7p.m., and that the minimum wage is 34s. per week. They demand an increase of 10s and a reduction of their working hours, with closing at 2p.m. instead of 3p.m. on Saturdays. Two of the strikers employed at Messrs Dowler’s works resumed on Thursday.

1943

Country classics

It is rather extraordinary but, nevertheless true, that there is no demand for the classics among readers in Galway City, but the people from the rural areas continually ask for them and seem never to have enough of them. We have had cases where families living in the country have taken the same classics out year after year. This statement was made to our representative by Mr. S.J. Maguire, Co. Librarian.

Country people also are very interested in good solid Anglo-Irish literature, said the Co. Librarian, such as books by Canon Sheehan, James Murphy, etc., but they also indulge in a little light reading. They are as fond of a good detective novel or a wild west yarn as anybody.

During the last three years, the demand for books dealing with the war is phenomenal and at least three out of four readers that utilise the County Galway Library ask for the latest books on war.

Our representative was interested to learn that the youth of 1943 – both boys and girls – look for books dealing with the war.

The boys are all the time asking for books which illustrate the latest type of ’planes and tanks and are very anxious to read stories written in the lighter vein where the central figure is a pilot of a ’plane or the commander of the tank. Stories about the sea have not lost their fascination and are in constant demand.

“Girls’ school stories and boys’ adventure stories are always in demand,” said Mr. Maguire, “but only a very limited quantity of them is coming on the market now and they are practically unobtainable. However, we have a very good stock of them in the Galway library and we are issuing those gradually.”

The greatest demand of all is for good detective novels and wild west yarns. Mr. Maguire pointed out that this demand was constant because it came from all classes. The professional man as well as the working man is very fond of a good detective story as well as a wild west story.

The Librarian added that they now had in the library a stock of books that would last for the next eighteen months.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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Galway in Days Gone By

Galway In Days Gone By

Published

4 days ago

June 1, 2023

Stephen Corrigan

A group of young people sitting on PJ Ruane's horse cart off New Road near the canal in Parkavara, Galway City in 1985.

1923 – The impact of war

It is just nine years since the news of the European War fell upon a Galway gathering to celebrate Race Week. The banks closed, international credit and stability rocked upon their foundations.

True, the waves of that terrible conflict broke harmlessly enough upon our shores; our farmers and our few manufacturers grew opulent by supplying John Bull with food and clothing for the war, a few of our towns benefited by a temporary, if fickle and untrustworthy, increase in trade.

But that evening in 1914 marked the beginning of a period during which the progress of ordinary business sense was impossible.

The intervening nine years have not been wasted years: they have been rich with gain to Ireland; they will yield greater wealth in the future if only all of us, putting personal vanities or the desire for political domination aside, will work for the honour and glory of Ireland, material as well as punctual.

One useful way in which this can be done immediately is by brightening our towns, making them put on a cheerful and attractive summer garb, keeping our streets and alleyways bright and clean. In Galway there is little encouragement to do this, for deserts of dust and limestone grit lie upon the streets and are the sport of every wind that blows.

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 18, 2023

Stephen Corrigan

Some of the attendance at the opening of the new school in Ballymacward on June 24, 1974.

1923

Gloom after war

The special correspondent of the “Independent”, who has been writing of the aftermath of civil war in the West, notes that a feeling of apathy, due to the uncertainty of events, exists amongst the sorely-tried people of Connemara; that politics are referred to only with disgust and that not more than fifty per cent. of the people would vote at a general election; that poverty and unemployment are rife, and there is a growing tendency towards emigration; and that there are bitter complaints of the huge impost of rates and taxes.

It is only too true that there is enough of material for the pessimist to brood over, and that a feeling of gloom permeates country towns. But it is a poor tribute to patriotism that has survived such horrors to encourage this gloom.

It is the duty of all of us to get this pessimism out of the national body and to rid ourselves of the notion that we have not enough Christianity and moral sense left to restore our people to cheerful and ordered progress and industry.

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

4 weeks ago

May 11, 2023

Stephen Corrigan

Nurses on strike on May 10, 1980, protesting a sub-standard pay offer. Around 700 nurses took part in the protest, hitting services at Gawlay Regional Hospital where only emergency cases were being admitted.

1923

Peace negotiations

As we go to press, An Dáil is discussing the Peace negotiations between the Government and Mr. de Valera. It was announced on Wednesday for the first time that such negotiations were begun following Mr. de Valera’s “cease fire” proclamation of April 27, and that by the 30th of the month Senators Andrew Jameson and James Douglas were asked by him to discuss proposals.

They said it was for the Government to discuss; they could only confer. Into the ensuring conferences the Government declined to enter personally, but on May 3 the senators placed before Mr. de Valera the Cabinet’s terms, which were that future issues should be decided by the majority vote of the elected representatives of the people, and that as a corollary and a preliminary to the release of prisoners, all lethal weapons should be in the custody and control of the Executive Government.

Mr. de Valera relied to this on May 7 with a document in which he agreed to majority rule and control of arms, but added that arms should be stored in a suitable building in each province under armed Republican guard until after the elections in September, that the oath should not be made a test in the councils of the nation, and that all political prisoners should be released immediately on the signing of this agreement.

“You have brought back to us,” wrote President Cosgrave, “not an acceptance of our conditions, but a long and wordy document inviting debate where none is possible”.

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.