Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1917
Up the rebels
Capt. S. Gwynn, M.P. attended Castlegar, alone, on Sunday morning for the purposes of addressing the people regarding the present political situation. He was struck by a bad egg before he delivered his address. Standing in the centre of the road, he proceeded to speak, but the audience included a number of young men wearing Sinn Féin badges and carrying hurleys. After a brief deliberation, the young stalwarts decided to move away from where Capt. Gwynn was speaking, and they proceeded down a bye-way.
As Capt. Gwynn was speaking, a regular fusillade of stones was thrown from behind a hedge, but, fortunately, they all fell wide. Cries of “Up the Rebels” and “Down the Party” could be heard as the stones were thrown. But the Member for Galway City said he would not be intimidated by such tactics.
There were only three policemen present. They urged Captain Gwynn to prosecute the assaulting parties, but he declined to do so.
Football for rebels
At Oranmore Petty Sessions, Acting-Sergeant Hoey summoned Peter Corbett for drunkenness and disorderly behaviour at Killeen. Owing to his conduct there was nearly a serious row. He said he would not allow a ball to be played in Clarenbridge except by a man who fought in the rebellion.
Chairman Joseph Kilbride, R.M.: Is he here today in order to strike a blow for himself?
Acting-Sergeant: No.
Chairman: We will fine him 5s.
School attendance
The School Attendance Committee, at the suit of their Inspector, Mr. James Redington, obtained Attendance Orders against a number of parents, owing to the non-attendance of their children at school.
Fever in the family was urged in mitigation by several of the parents. Mr. Redington commented on the scholarship of one boy who had reached 11 years of age and was only in the first class. In a few cases where the orders had been disobeyed, fines of 6d. and 4s. 6d costs were imposed.
1942
Elderly woman murdered
Mrs. Margaret Wylie, an eighty-years-old widow who lived alone in a cottage with a small holding at Beechlawn, Poolboy, Ballinasloe, was discovered murdered in her home on Tuesday evening. A young man has been remanded in custody charged with the crime.
Dr. J. McGrath, State Pathologist, said he found the body in a pool of blood on the cottage floor. The extensive head wounds could have been caused by an axe or some sharp, cutting instrument. In his opinion, death was due to shock and haemorrhage.
Private cemetery damaged
The malicious damage on or about February 24th, 1941, of two headstones and one piece of monumental sculpture in Glenarde Private Burial Ground at Taylor’s Hill was the subject of proceedings at Galway Circuit Court, when Henry Persse, Stockbridge, Hants, England, had a claim for £150 against the Galway Corporation and the Galway County Council.
In giving a decree for £75 with taxed costs and £1 expenses, his lordship, Judge D. Fawsitt, said he regretted that an application of this kind had to be made. The damage complained of was an outrage and every decent citizen would regret and condemn. He had formed the opinion that it could not have been done by any responsible person; it must have been done by mischievous youths.
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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