Archive News
Gardaí investigate new lead in taxi driver murder probe

Date Published: 07-Jan-2013
By Declan Tierney
An impassioned plea for information about the murder of city taxi driver Eileen Costello O’Shaughnessy has resulted in a member of the public recalling seeing two men with hoods running through a Galway estate shortly after the murder took place.
Fifteen years after the murder took place of the 47 years old mother of two, family members launched a fresh campaign in the hope that new information would be provided in the hope of solving the case.
A website was established in which the public could pass on information in strict confidence about the horrific killing of the taxi driver.
It has been learned by the Sentinel that a person has revealed how he noticed two suspicious individuals crossing The Green at College Road in or around the same time of the murder. Both persons were wearing hoods and dark clothing. The response has been forwarded to the Gardaí at Mill Street Garda Station in the city.
Henry Hegarty, a cousin of Eileen Costello O’Shaughnessy and a city taxi driver, said that this response was being followed up and it was hoped that something positive would come of it.
He said that this person saw two males running through The Green around the same time as Eileen’s taxi had been abandoned on the Tuam Road out of Galway city.
On the 15th anniversary of the murder of taxi driver Eileen Costello O’Shaughnessy, a last ditch campaign was launched by family members in an effort to find her killer.
A website was launched in Eileen’s memory but it can also be used by anyone with any information about her brutal murder to pass on information in confidence to the Gardai.
Over 400 taxis in Galway city and county displayed a sticker stating ‘Justice for Eileen’ as they tried to jog the public’s memory about that tragic night of November 30, 1997 when she was beaten to death and her body dumped on a laneway.
It was a murder that shocked several communities in County Galway at the time and despite exhaustive inquiries on the part of the Gardai in Galway, no one was ever arrested in connection with the murder.
There have been TV, radio and newspaper appeals for information about the murder of the 47 years old mother and despite a number of lines of inquiry, investigating officers are no closer to finding her murderer.
The Corofin native was beaten to death and her body dumped on a side road at Knockdoemore just off the N17.
Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel
Galway in Days Gone By
The way we were – Protecting archives of our past

People’s living conditions less than 100 years ago were frightening. We have come a long way. We talk about water charges today, but back then the local District Councils were erecting pumps for local communities and the lovely town of Mountbellew, according to Council minutes, had open sewers,” says Galway County Council archivist Patria McWalter.
Patria believes we “need to take pride in our history, and we should take the same pride in our historical records as we do in our built heritage”. When you see the wealth of material in her care, this belief makes sense.
She is in charge of caring for the rich collection of administrative records owned by Galway County Council and says “these records are as much part of our history as the Rock of Cashel is. They document our lives and our ancestors’ lives. And nobody can plan for the future unless you learn from the past, what worked and what didn’t”.
Archivists and librarians are often unfairly regarded as being dry, academic types, but that’s certainly not true of Patria. Her enthusiasm is infectious as she turns the pages of several minute books from Galway’s Rural District Councils, all of them at least 100 years old.
Part of her role involved cataloguing all the records of the Councils – Ballinasloe, Clifden, Galway, Gort, Loughrea, Mountbellew, Portumna and Tuam. These records mostly consisted of minutes of various meetings.
When she was cataloguing them she realised their worth to local historians and researchers, so she decided to compile a guide to their content. The result is For the Record: The Archives of Galway’s Rural District Councils, which will be a valuable asset to anybody with an interest in history.
Many representatives on these Councils were local personalities and several were arrested during the political upheaval of the era, she explains.
And, ushering in a new era in history, women were allowed to sit on these Rural District Councils – at the time they were not allowed to sit on County Councils.
All of this information is included in Patria’s introductory essay to the attractively produced A4 size guide, which gives a glimpse into how these Rural Councils operated and the way political thinking changed in Ireland during a short 26-year period. In the early 1900s, these Councils supported Home Rule, but by 1920, they were calling for full independence and refusing to recognise the British administration.
“I love the tone,” says Patria of the minutes from meetings. “The language was very emotive.”
That was certainly true of the Gort Rural District Council. At a meeting in 1907, following riots in Dublin at the premiere of JM Synge’s play, The Playboy of the Western World the councillors’ response was vehement. They recorded their decision to “protest most emphatically against the libellous comedy, The Playboy of the Western World, that was belched forth during the past week in the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, under the fostering care of Lady Gregory and Mr Yeats. We congratulate the good people of Dublin in howling down the gross buffoonery and immoral suggestions that are scattered throughout this scandalous performance.
For more from the archives see this week’s Tribunes here
Archive News
Real Galway flavour to intermediate club hurling battle in Birr

Date Published: 23-Jan-2013
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Archive News
Athenry fail to take chances as they bow out of Junior Cup

Date Published: 29-Jan-2013
Athenry FC 1
Kilbarrack United 2
(After extra time)
For the second year in succession Athenry were done in extra time in the FAI Junior Cup as last season’s beaten finalist’s came from behind to snatch an excellent game in Moanbawn on Sunday afternoon.
On a heavy pitch that was only playable following extensive groundwork by club officials all morning, the home side were by far the better side in the opening half, but failed to take advantage of a number of opportunities that came their way.
An Alan O’Donovan penalty gave them a merited advantage just after the restart, but thereafter were on the back foot as Kilbarrack took over, but for all their pressing, the home rearguard were dealing comfortably with their forays.
However they were struck a body blow just six minutes from time, as big striker Keith Kirwan was left all alone at the far post to head the equaliser and from that point on the Dubliners were the better side.
They started off the extra time in the ascendancy and enjoying all the momentum before striking for a good winning goal on 104 minutes. A strong bench allowed them to make some necessary changes and it was not a facility that was available to Athenry manager Gabriel Glavin.
With Gary Forde and Gary Delaney out through suspension following their sending off against OLBC in the previous round, and Seamie Crowe injured, it left their bench rather threadbare with just a number of young squad players available.
Playing with the aid of the slight incline and any wind advantage going, the home side had a Connor Cannon effort on target in the opening minute, while John Meleady was just over with a flick at the other end.
Meleady then tested Andrew Walsh who saved comfortably, before the goalkeeper pulled off a brilliant double save on 14 minutes.
Firstly he went full length to push away a Meleady shot and was then back on his feet to parry David Jackson’s close-range rebound.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.