Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1917
Shocking drowning
A shocking drowning tragedy occurred off Salthill, resulting in the death of a young man named Joseph McDermott (aged about 28), whose parents reside at Nun’s Island, Galway. For the past three years, young McDermott has been employed as chauffeur with Mr. J. Meleady, the well-known horse owner, of Lower Mount-st., Dublin. Prior to that, he had been for years one of the most popular and courteous assistants at the garage of Mr. J. Ward, Eyre Square.
He enjoyed an extraordinary popularity amongst all classes, and his employer was stricken with grief last evening when he heard of the terrible tragedy.
“He was the best young man who ever served a master,” said Mr. Meleady, as, with tears in his eyes, he looked at the clothes on the beach; “he was strictly sober, and I have never yet heard him use an improper word. He was the most careful of chauffeurs, and I have never yet seen him leave a motorist on the road. My children were devotedly attached to him. They will be heartbroken.”
It appears that poor Joe, as he was familiarly known, had been at the second day’s racing, and, upon returning, he had his dinner. With the unwisdom that has so frequently proved fatal, he started off for a long swim immediately after a hearty meal. He was a splendid swimmer, and leaving his clothes at Blackrock, he set out with long easy strokes. He was never seen again. It is said that he was seen making towards a rock – apparently on the Marguerita shoal – but although search was made until late last night, all efforts to recover the body proved futile.
South Park bazaar
The Bazaar to be held under the auspices of the Galway Urban Council for the development and improvement on South Park, was opened at Eyre Square at 8 o’clock on Monday evening.
The object of the Bazaar is well known, and all who subscribed so generously showed that they fully appreciated the effort that is being made in this period of stagnation to bring some growth to the municipal mill.
1942
Cruelty to hackney horses
Recent complaints of cruelty to animals have led many persons to express the hope that a branch of the N.S.P.C.A. will be established in Galway in the near future. The revival of horse transport for Race Week undoubtedly gave rise to cases of cruelty to hackney horses.
Some of these animals, insufficiently fed and watered, that should have been stabled on the evening of each race day after many hours of gruelling toil in the heat and dust, were still being driven around the city at four o’clock on the following morning with heavy loads of roysterers.
Others, already overworked and overburdened, were savagely flogged up steep hills on the way to the course and given no respite whatever.
To the credit of Galway, it must be stated that the offenders were drivers from other towns – and even other counties. They did not even seek a shelter for the poor brutes at night, but just tied them up at the quays or anywhere, in many cases without food. The Galway drivers, so far as can be ascertained, looked after their horses well. They watered and fed the animals conscientiously and gave them release from harness and a rub down when possible.
The plight of horses from the country was made worse by the fact that in the majority of cases they were animals never intended for hackney work, but for slow labour. It is a pity that the many scores of people who expressed indignation at the treatment of some of the horses by some of the drivers – there were many drivers who looked assiduously after their horses’ welfare, we are glad to say – did not have the courage to take definite action in the matter. As it was, the Garda Siochana did not receive a single complaint of cruelty during the two days of the races.
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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