Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1917
City potato supply
The supply of potatoes coming into Galway during the week was a record one – in smallness. The supply on Saturday was below the normal, and on Wednesday morning only two loads came into the market. Before the Food Controllers’ order came into operation, from twelve to fifteen loads of potatoes exchanged hands. The explanation is that the farmers are holding back their stocks in order to obtain higher prices. It has come to our notice that several carts of potatoes, while on the way to Galway market on Wednesday were stopped some miles from the town and bought at the rate of 1s. 3d. per stone.
Coaling incident
A few days ago, a Mine Sweeper, which had only five tons of coal left in her bunkers, put in at Galway port for fresh supplies. It was necessary that the bunkers be filled immediately, and Mr. Mackie, acting as Admiralty coal contractor, endeavoured in vain to get labour. Finding he could not get a sufficiency of labour, he employed one of his men from the cinema, who agreed as a matter of courtesy to help Mr. Mackie.
However, union officials intervened, and objected to this man rendering any assistance, and Mr. Mackie replied that if he could get Union labourers he would be only too willing to employ them. The skipper of the vessel had no time to listen to arguments, so he put his men on the work and the ship was speedily coaled by them.
1942
Threw hatchet at child
Allegations were made at Ballinasloe Court that the children were throwing hatchets while the mothers were jostling each other with clothes baskets in the archway of a tenement known as the “old barracks” in River Street, in a case in which a woman and her nine-year-old son summoned a husband-and-wife for abuse and assault.
The evidence was that the abuse and assaults had been going on for some months between the two women litigants, while the children were not able to agree and there were fights between the plaintiff’s child and the defendants five-and-a-half-year-old offspring. The plaintiff’s son was alleged to have a hatchet which he frequently threw at the younger boy.
There were ten families living in the tenement and it was alleged that there was constant disagreement between these two families. After hearing the evidence, District Justice Cahill dismissed the summonses, but warned the parties that if they were again in Court, he would put them under a rule of bail to keep the peace.
Derelict houses
It is understood that many owners of derelict houses in Tuam have agreed to sell tile stones in such buildings to the County Council and the County Surveyor will have the houses demolished and the material removed free of cost to the owners.
Some owners, however, have rejected this offer and the Town Commissioners have therefore decided to advertise for a contractor to have such derelict buildings demolished and charge the cost of same to the owners as they are entitled to do by law.
Ranges scrapped
Ranges which cost altogether £500 have been removed by tenants from Gilmartin Road houses in Tuam and are lying as scrap iron, which is now to be sold. This was reported at the monthly meeting, and the Chairman. Mr. Padraig Purcell, stated it was all the fault of the Local Government Department in having ranges instead of open grates put into those houses. Even if there was never a coal shortage, ranges should not have been put into houses in a large turf district like Tuam. It was decided to advertise the ranges as scrap iron.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
1923
Gloom after war
The special correspondent of the “Independent”, who has been writing of the aftermath of civil war in the West, notes that a feeling of apathy, due to the uncertainty of events, exists amongst the sorely-tried people of Connemara; that politics are referred to only with disgust and that not more than fifty per cent. of the people would vote at a general election; that poverty and unemployment are rife, and there is a growing tendency towards emigration; and that there are bitter complaints of the huge impost of rates and taxes.
It is only too true that there is enough of material for the pessimist to brood over, and that a feeling of gloom permeates country towns. But it is a poor tribute to patriotism that has survived such horrors to encourage this gloom.
It is the duty of all of us to get this pessimism out of the national body and to rid ourselves of the notion that we have not enough Christianity and moral sense left to restore our people to cheerful and ordered progress and industry.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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1923
Peace negotiations
As we go to press, An Dáil is discussing the Peace negotiations between the Government and Mr. de Valera. It was announced on Wednesday for the first time that such negotiations were begun following Mr. de Valera’s “cease fire” proclamation of April 27, and that by the 30th of the month Senators Andrew Jameson and James Douglas were asked by him to discuss proposals.
They said it was for the Government to discuss; they could only confer. Into the ensuring conferences the Government declined to enter personally, but on May 3 the senators placed before Mr. de Valera the Cabinet’s terms, which were that future issues should be decided by the majority vote of the elected representatives of the people, and that as a corollary and a preliminary to the release of prisoners, all lethal weapons should be in the custody and control of the Executive Government.
Mr. de Valera relied to this on May 7 with a document in which he agreed to majority rule and control of arms, but added that arms should be stored in a suitable building in each province under armed Republican guard until after the elections in September, that the oath should not be made a test in the councils of the nation, and that all political prisoners should be released immediately on the signing of this agreement.
“You have brought back to us,” wrote President Cosgrave, “not an acceptance of our conditions, but a long and wordy document inviting debate where none is possible”.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
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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.
1923
State of the parties
Speculation as to parties after the next Irish elections is exceedingly interesting, especially in view of the enlarged franchise.
In Dublin, the view appears to be held by a number of people that Labour will make a great bid for power.
Dublin, however, has a curiously insular habit of thought where matters that concern all Ireland and in which Ireland has a say are concerned. We hope this insularity will rapidly disappear under the new conditions.
The country as a whole is backing the Farmers’ Party, and has not the smallest doubt that it will be the strongest combination in the next Dáil, and that it will oust the purely political parties, the one because it has resorted to force, the other because it has been compelled to use force to supress force, and the Labour Party because Ireland feels that at the back of its policy lurks the danger of Communism.
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.
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