1925

American invasion

What the Irish Tourist Development Association is doing in conjunction with the Cunard Line to attract visitors to Ireland is shown by the statement made this week that Mr. J. J. Carroll, of the Cobh office of the Cunard Line, is proceeding to the United States for the special purpose of conducting a large party of tourists to Ireland.

Mr. O’Carroll is the first representative of the Free State to proceed to the States for this special purpose. The charm of Ireland, and of the West particularly, is becoming increasingly popular with Americans, and it is expected that the “invasion” this year will exceed that of any previous year.

The Cunard ships are the last word in comfort and are in addition equipped with the necessary requisites for the celebration of Mass during the voyage. This is a far cry from the old “windjammer” days when a voyage from America took weeks and the risks of travel were very real.

American tourists may be assured that they receive a hearty Irish welcome in Galway and throughout the Connemara country.

1950

Strike’s impact

The strike of Galway dock labourers which was called about five weeks ago in sympathy with the seven weeks old yardmen’s strike threatens to paralyse all building work on the million pounds Regional Sanatorium in Merlin Park.

Owing to the complete hold-up of cement imports through Galway Port, the stocks of cement in the hands of the Sanatorium contractors on Monday last were reduced to two tons.

Thirty workers on the building were laid off last week, and the company’s manager told a “Connacht Tribune” reporter that he will have to let another seventy or eighty go by next Thursday. He hoped, however, if the worst comes to the worst, to be able to retain the masons and a few labourers.

Mr. D. F. O’Donovan, B.E., manager for the contractors, Messrs. John Sisk and Sons, said that when the strike started they had 500 tons of cement in stock and had since bought 90 tons from Dublin at an extra cost of 25s. 6d. per ton, but they were no longer in a position to get cement from this source. Their normal consumption of cement would be 70 tons per day.

Pictured: RISING STARS – Students of the Regina Rogers School of Ballet who took part in The Nutcracker in the Town Hall Theatre in May 1998. Front, from left: Aifric Keogh, Ciara Davy, Laura McDonald, Jade Walsh, Amelia Ní Laoi, Niamh O’Donnell and Eva McCabe. Back row, left to right: Miriam Dunne, Lily Leon, Niamh Murphy, Amy Heffernan, Aisling Fitzgibbon, Maria O’Flaherty, Aine Cunningham and Leah Garvey.