Date Published: 04-Nov-2009

1934

Drunken assault

Before Sean MacGiollarnaith, D.J., at Roundstone District Court, a man from Murkey was fined 5s and put on rule of bail for twelve months, himself on £5 and two sureties of £5 each for assaulting Guard Lucy, Roundstone on August 30.

Guard Lucy said he was on duty in Roundstone street at about 9.40 p.m. on the night of Roundstone races with Sergeant Fox. They saw a man who was drunk and disorderly and were taking him to the station when the defendant approached them and attempted to take the prisoner from them.

Guard Lucy told him to go away but he paid no attention. They guard then pushed him away. The defendant returned the attack and struck Guard Lucy on the nose with his fist. Defendant’s case was that he might have struck Guard Lucy as described but he was too drunk to know what he was doing.

Film award

Robert Flaherty’s film “Man of Aran”, has been awarded the Mussolini Cup for the best foreign film by the Second International Exhibition of the Art of the Cinema.

Sanitary fears

Dr. Lavelle, M.O. Ballinasloe, reported to the Urban Council that following a general inspection of some places in the town he recommended that sanitary accommodation be at once put in in several houses at present without any sanitary conveniences. Included in the latter houses, he said, were two licensed premises where there were no means of disposing of the sewage. Mr Cullen said that considering the seriousness of the doctor’s report he proposed that the necessary notices be served on the owners of the premises referred to in all cases to put in proper sanitary arrangements.

Tuam fireworks

On Friday evening last there was a proper fireworks display of lightning over the district. For hours the sky was lit up by peculiar flashes of lightning more in the nature of flickering shadows of light which kept playing on the sky like fireworks, so much so that many people though it was a reflection of fireworks from Galway.

County finances

At the weekly meeting of the Finance Committee of the Galway County Council, acting secretary Mr. T. O’Connor said the bank balance was £51,518 dr., as compared with £43,000 dr. last year. The sanctioned overdraft up to the end of the month was £60,000. They had written to the Government for another instalment of the agricultural grant.

Pleasure boat tourists

Over 3,500 excursionists on pleasure boats arrived in Galway on Sunday and spent a most enjoyable day in Salthill. Salthill was gay with bunting and the spirit of the carnival was abroad. Everyone was good-humoured and all seemed intent on getting the best out of the day. The officials at the Galway railway station had a busy day coping with the enormous crowds, but they carried through their duties in their usual courteous and efficient manner.

1959

 Cyclists chased

Three young men whom Sergt. P. Boyle signalled to stop when he saw them cycling three abreast and without lights at Barrack Street, Loughrea, and who decided to ”make a run for it”, hadn’t reckoned with the Garda patrol car, in which the Sergeant pursued and overtook them. All three were fined 10/- each for cycling abreast and 10/- also for not having lights on their bicycles.

Ratepayers’ protest

The decision of the Galway Co. Council to call a special meeting to discuss the question of the appointment of an additional engineer for the Clifden area has resulted in a letter of protest to the Galway Co. Manager, Mr. C.I. O’Flynn, from the Tuam Ratepayers’ Association. The Tuam Association has pointed out that Co. Council meeting cost the ratepayers a considerable sum of money and also that since the matter had been discussed and a decision arrived on the matter at a previous Council meeting, that there was now no need for any further action on the subject.

Itinerant problem

The Municipal Authorities Association at their conference in Galway supported Galway Corporation’s call to the Minister for Justice to set up a Commission to consider the itinerant problem. Mr. J. Redington said that he had raised the matter before some three years ago. He would like to know what the authorities had done in the meantime to prevent people being molested and abused by itinerants when they refused to help them. Ald. Miss M. A. Ashe said that the itinerants were becoming an eyesore and the Gardai were doing nothing to control them. The Minister for Justice should bring in some legislation to deal with them.

Busy brigade

Portumna Fire Brigade have been working overtime during the recent drought. Three haggard fires, two in East Galway and one in North Tipperary, and three bog fires in East Galway all in a short time, kept this efficient brigade busy all night on some occasions. Farm buildings and outoffices were saved through prompt action even with a very limited water supply.

Housing needs

“For practical purposes the housing needs of the City at the moment are almost solved.” This statement was made by Mr. B.J. Faherty, Galway Borough Engineer. He said that the total number of houses which the Corporation had at present was 1,368. “It may appear to many that the number of houses built is small for a City the size of Galway, but when one takes into consideration that in addition to the 1,368 houses, 688 houses were built under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Act, one can quite well realise that the achievement of the Corporation with regard to the housing needs of the City are quite satisfactory.”

1984

Poitín swoop

A large quantity of poitín ‘wash’ was discovered by Gardaí during raids on two uninhabited islands off the Connemara coast this week. The haul consisted of 620 gallons found in 11 barrels. If this ‘wash’, or as it is known locally ‘beoic’, had been processed, it would have been valued at about £1,600. The raid was made by three Oughterard Gardaí and three members of the Garda Sub Aqua Crew from Dublin on the islands of Iniserk and Duighnis off Leitir Meallain.

Rescue service

A new rescue service for Lough Mask has been set up in the wake of the tragic drowning accident that claimed the lives of three members of a Ballinrobe family in July. The new plan involves a round-the-clock voluntary recue service, with anglers and experienced boatmen ‘on call’ for emergencies at different points around the lake.

Poison scare

Galway shoppers need have no worries about possible poison on their food if they buy at Quinnsworth’s Shopping Centre store, in spite of yesterday’s nationwide scare. According to a Garda spokesman at Eglinton Street Station this morning, the Crime Square took only a matter of minutes to find the tiny poison capsules yesterday afternoon, concealed in a cigarette. This followed a phone call from a man claiming to represent an unnamed Loyalist group in Northern Ireland to RTE’s Belfast offices, in which he said that poison had been planted at a number of outlets in the Republic. Ulster Loyalists still believe that the supermarket chain paid over a substantial amount of money to the Republican kidnappers of Quinnsworth executive Don Tidey earlier this year.

Time capsule

 A time capsule filled with artefacts and information portraying ‘Life in Ireland 1984’ will be buried in Galway City in December as part of the city’s Quincentennial celebrations. Making the grade Fifteen year-old Corrib Park lad, Tommy Keane, left Galway on Monday last to take up career in professional football with English League side Bournemouth. Tommy, who began his soccer playing with the local Corrib Rangers before moving to West United, travelled to England with another 15 year-old boy, Gary Feeley of Mervue, who played with Crescent United.

Toilet worries

Residents of the Gaelcarrig Park area in Galway are very concerned about their health of late because an area of ground surrounding an ESB power station is being used as a public toilet. The position of the power unit allows for people to walk in at the side of it and use it as a toilet.