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.