Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1919
Five to a bed
It was reported from Corrandulla to Galway Guardians on Wednesday that Martin Lardner, his wife and five children were seriously ill from pneumonia. – Dr. Cusack, M.P., appeared before the board and said that he called at the house when he heard of the case.
The father and a baby were dying. The five children were lying in one bed, and it was necessary to climb over them to give them attention.
The nurse in attendance was doing her work fairly well. The people were very badly off.
Mr. Lardner: I was told that the mother was given up. – Dr. Cusack said he would visit the people again and would do all in his power for them.
The Relieving Officer was directed to get all the provisions necessary for the family’s relief.
Fuel price controls
Arising out of a communication received from the Fuel Controller regarding turf prices, Mr. O’Loughlin said they were having neither turf nor coal at present in Loughrea.
Mr. Greene said local coal merchants were charging at the rate of £4 10s. per ton for coal which was considered in excess of that fixed by the local authority.
In reply to a query, Mr. Connell said the Commissioners allowed a profit of 5s. on coal sold by the ton and 7s. 6d. per ton on coal retailed in cwts. – Mr. Greene said those prices were not observed. He thought the matter should be brought under the notice of the police.
Mr. O’Loughlin: As an urban authority we are bound to fix the price of turf.
1944
Disruption avoided
Not only will the postal service to and from Galway will escape the serious disruption which was expected to follow the drastic reduction in train services, but the new arrangements will provide a more speedy service on most days of the week.
The only set-back is that there will be no despatch on two days every week, but, on the other hand, there will be two deliveries of incoming mails on four days instead of one delivery every week day as heretofore.
The postal service for the country areas also has been reorganised to provide the best service possible under the circumstanes.
Street widening
Preparatory work for the widening of Bridge-street, Galway, and part of Lombard-street is now in progress.
The wall which runs from O’Brien’s Bridge to the ruined building opposite St. Nicholas’s Collegiate Church is now being torn down and a wall will be built further back from the present roadway.
The ruined building which was formerly a fish and chip shop in Lombard-street will be pulled down.
The whole work, which is being carried out by Mr. G. Lee, County Surveyor, is estimated to cost £1,162.
The sharp corner at the junction of Bridge-street and Lombard-street will go and its place will be taken by an easy turn.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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1919
Government raids
On last Friday morning a series of raids and searches for documents and ammunition was carried out all over Ireland on the houses of prominent Sinn Féiners.
In Galway – the raid started about 1 o’clock when parties of military, fully armed and wearing trench helmets, accompanied by some police, entered the Sinn Féin Hall at Prospect Hill, the offices of the “Galway Express,” and the houses of Mr. M. Walsh, Old Malt House, High-st., Mr. M. Flanagan, Merchants’-road, Mr. H. Shields, Francis-st., Mr. George Nicolls, solr., University-road, and Dr. Cusack, M.P., at Anglingham.
Only a few cards of membership and lists of names of members were taken away from the Sinn Féin Hall, and there was no incriminating document found in the “Express” Office.
A few cartridges were found at some of the houses visited, and these were taken away. The raid lasted about an hour. Although the news of the searches came as a surprise, very little interest was manifested in the proceedings by the public, and beyond a few passers-by, who now and then stood to have a look at the houses that were being raided, there were no on-lookers about.
In Clifden – Several houses were raided in Clifden, and Mr. W. A. Clancy, D.C., merchant and publican, was arrested, some ammunition, it is stated, being found on his premises. He is still in custody and will, it is presumed, be tried by court martial.
In Athenry – The houses raided in Athenry included those of Mr. Stephen Jordan, Davis-st., Mr. Larry Lardiner, Church-st., Mr. Jack Broderick, Mr. Christie Broderick, chemist, and the office of Mr. G. Nicolls, B.A., solr., at Murphy’s Hotel, Barrack-st.
As Mr. Nicolls was leaving for Galway, he was searched by the police, but nothing of a seditious nature was discovered on him. Nothing was found on the premises raided.
In Portumna – On Friday last, eight police visited seven houses in town and searched the houses and premises. Similar raids were made in the Abbey and Tynagh districts.
1944
Rigid censorship
Galway County Libraries Committee, at a meeting on Saturday, decided to have new books censored more closely in future, and the Censorship Committee were asked to meet once a month for this purpose.
The Committee unanimously adopted the annual report of the Co. Librarian, Mr. S. J. Maguire, on the working of the library. A copy of the report was published in the “Connacht Tribune” on August 19th.
Banks to blame
The rates of interest charged on loans by the banks were much too high and something should be done to get them reduced, Mr. R. M. Burke told the Galway County Council on Saturday. While the banks paid only one per cent. on money on deposit he believed they could easily reduce the rates charged to borrowers such as County Councils.
Houses could be let to tenants at lower rents if bank interest charges were lower – much of the money due on housing schemes was for interest on overdraft, he said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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1919
New era for Salthill
Recently there have been two interesting house purchases at Salthill for residential purposes, and Seamount, with its well-laid-out grounds, has been established as a modern hospital.
But the need has always existed for an up-to-date hotel that would provide good-class accommodation for guests, motor-trips and excursions, dancing and other amusements.
At one o’clock on Tuesday, September 23, Barfield, with its out-offices and lawn, which comprises a newly laid-out tennis court, and over two acres of ground, will be sold; and it has been suggested that it would provide the nucleus for an excellent hotel.
There are three large reception rooms, ten bedrooms of considerable size, and ample room for extension. The stables afford garage and other accommodation. If some enterprising hotel proprietor, or some local company were to purchase Barfield and enter upon the necessary improvements, it would inaugurate a new era in Salthill.
The resort can never achieve universal popularity until reasonable amusements are provided.
Winter shadows
Soon winter with its “grey despair”, will be upon us. Already, it casts its gaunt shadows. Mr. Cunningham forcibly reminded us of one of them at yesterday’s meeting of the Galway Urban Council.
Owing to the scarcity of winter feeding stuffs, he told us, people who formerly kept five milch cows were now only able to keep two. He suggested that the Government should be requested to facilitate the import of maize, cotton-cake, oil cake and other feeding stuffs; but Mr. T. C. McDonogh pointed out that feeding stuffs were being held up in Dublin through the Dockers’ strike.
Land War veteran dies
Sympathy has been expressed with Mr. James Stewart, the well-known building contractor, of Lower Salthill, Galway, upon the recent death of his father, Mr. Joseph Stewart, farmer, Kylenamelly, Woodford.
The deceased farmer had attained seventy-one years of age, and was one of the best-known champions of the tenants in the land war on the Clanricarde estate in the ‘80s. Evicted from his holding at Kylenamelly during the clearances thirty-one years ago, he never left the district, and after years of patient waiting, was restored to his old home about three years ago.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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1919
Hospital rations
At Saturday’s meeting of the Loughrea Board of Guardians, Mr. P. Cahill presiding, a letter was received from the hospital helpers drawing the attention of the Board to the fact that in the new scale of dietary fixed for them there were no potatoes allowed, and there had been no provision made for dinner on Friday.
They asked that an egg each be allowed for breakfast daily, and that 1 lb. of bacon in lieu of the same amount of beef, and half-1 lb. butter in lieu of margarine be allowed weekly. The board granted the application subject to the sanction of the Local Government Board.
Mrs. M. J. Killeen, matron, wrote: “Gentlemen, – I beg to remind you that about two months ago when my rations were about to be changed I asked you to leave them as they were, and your board unanimously agreed to do so. Now the Local Government Board want to cut them down by 3s. per week, which I will not on any account agree to.
There is not a matron of any workhouse in Ireland in the matter of having her bit of food bandied about and talked of treated as I am. When the curtailing of food was first agreed to during the war it was a different thing, but now that the war is over I cannot understand why my rations are being cut down, and I will go on hunger strike before I accept the change. This is final, but I wish to state that I do not blame the members of your Board, as, with a few exceptions, they have been invariably very kind to me.”
Galway Ford dealer
Mr. W. P. Higgins, of Galway and Athenry, has, as the advertisement we print this week indicates, been appointed Ford dealer for Galway city and county, so that anyone requiring early delivery of a Ford car should get into touch with him without delay.
Mr. Higgins informs us that over £1,000 worth of Ford spare parts will be stocked in his Galway garage.
Nursing fund
As a result of an auction of goods remaining over at Sandymount after the departure of the Belgian refugees from Galway, Ms. M. Burton Persse has forwarded £13 each to Nurse Young, of the Jubilee Nursing Association in Galway, and Nurse Campbell, of the Association for the Nursing of the sick poor in their own homes.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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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.
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Galway In Days Gone By
