Connacht Tribune
Original door knocker from Galway prison up for auction
The original door knocker from Galway Gaol is up for grabs – along with a series of documents for migratory workers from the west that paint a poignant picture of Ireland’s economic realities just after the Second World War.
These are among the items that will go under the hammer at an auction of rare books, literature, manuscripts and collectables in Dublin at the end of the month.
Up for grabs: the original knocker from the door of the old Galway Gaol.
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers will conduct an auction comprising over 800 lots on Tuesday, May 30, at the Tara Towers Hotel.
But among the items of specific interest to collectors of memorabilia from the west will be the heavy cast iron door knocker from the old Galway Gaol.
Modelled as a hand grabbing a wreath with lions mounted on a mahogany frame, by tradition it was reputed to have been removed as a memento from Galway Goal whilst being released from detention by Achill man Brian Corrigan of Mayo’s Flying Column. The knocker has a reserve of €300/€400.
Also up for auction is a series of 27 1940s travel permits for migrants from Galway and Mayo, travelling to work in Britain – many with the British Sugar Corporation, where work would have involved the harsh labour of pulling beet by hand.
They give details given of birth and residence, with passport-style photos attached.
Most of the workers were young men, born in the 1920s, but two – born in 1896 and 1897 – were in their early fifties.
For auction: 1940s travel permits for migrants from Galway and Mayo.
They serve as a poignant reminder of hard times in the West of Ireland, when emigration was the lot of many – and they come with a reserve of €350/€450.
On a broader scale the auction features first editions by Joyce, Flann O’Brien, Kavanagh, Yeats and others, formed from two private Irish Collections.
A unique item in the literary section is an original signed manuscript by James Joyce, from the opening sequence of Finnegan’s Wake – with an estimated reserve of €8,000 to €10,000.
Flann O’Brien’s most famous work ‘At Swim Two Birds’ is being offered for sale at an estimated €1,750 to €2,500. And Patrick Kavanagh’s first novel ‘The Green Fool’ is for sale with an estimate of €1,000 to €1,500.
More modern collectors might be drawn to a number of Harry Potter editions, some of which are signed by the cast and author (€600 to €800).
Extremely rare G.A.A. and other sporting memorabilia are included in the sale – including a medal from Laois’ first and only All-Ireland Hurling win from 1915 comes with a pre-sale of €7,000 to €10,000.
Other G.A.A memorabilia include official match programmes from 1930’s to 1950’s, a match ticket from Bloody Sunday (€600 to €700); the rugby ball from 1948 grand slam winning match between Ireland and Wales (€700 to €900) – and the programme from the day Munster conquered the All-Blacks in Thomond Park 1978, which could be yours for between €350 and €450.
Viewing of sale items take place at Fonsie Mealy Auctioneer’s in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, on Wednesday, May 24, and at the Tara Towers Hotel in Dublin on Sunday and Monday, May 28 and 29, with the auction at 10am on Tuesday 30th. See the website for more.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
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.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
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.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
