Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1917
Britain’s best pickpocket
As a well-groomed man was entering a first-class carriage of the mail train at Galway station last evening, a plain clothes constable tipped him on the shoulder and handed him over to the authorities. “I’ve been after him for a month,” said the London detective.
“He’s the cleverest and most versatile pick-pocket in Great Britain. He can assume all sorts of disguises and concoct ingenius plans to raise crowds, whilst his accomplices do the operating amongst them. Twenty-one persons’ pockets were picked this morning when he was shamming to be a drunken man from Ballinrobe weeping after the departure of the summer.”
Gang steals rifle
Five young men (with their faces disguised) approached the house of a man named Wm. Oliver, who resides near Menlo, some few nights ago, and endeavoured to enter his orchard. Mr. Oliver told them men to move off, but this they refused to do and slightly assaulted him and his young son. Thinking he would frighten the party away, Mr. Oliver brought out his rifle, but as soon as he emerged from the house with this article in his possession, they immediately set upon him and took possession of the rifle, which has not since been found.
The weather
The unsettled weather still continues, and scarcely a day passes without rain falling copiously. Thursday night looked well, and there was a frosty appearance about the sky, but Friday morning again bought rain. It is stated by weather experts that September will turn out fine.
1942
Tobacco shortage
Bad weather coupled with an unusually acute shortage of tobacco and cigarettes has had a damping effect on spirits in Connemara for the past few weeks. On both sides of the Clifden streets, one sees a long row of notices informing all whom it may concern that there are “no cigarettes, no tobacco, or no matches.” Smokers, however, generally disregard these notices and almost invariably enter the shops to have the written information confirmed verbally by the shopkeepers.
Dean dies in church
While assisting the Rev. Mr. Smithwick, Rector, Nenagh, at the morning service at St. John’s Church, Ballinasloe, on Sunday, the Rev. Le B.H. ffrench, Rector of St. john’s, and Protestant Dean of Clonfert, collapsed and died.
Aged seventy-five, the late Dean ffrench was seventeen years Rector in Ballinasloe, before which he was Canon in Kilconnell. He had been home from a holiday in Galway only a few days when he died.
Rubber from the sea
“It is an ill wind that blows no one good,” and the winds of the past week have blown a large quantity of raw rubber in along the Connemara coast. It is stated that this last windfall will bring considerable relief to the country’s depleted stocks.
Election result
The final decision of the electors of Co. Galway regarding the composition of the next Co. Council was disclosed on Monday evening when the counting of votes of the votes, under the supervision of Mr. C.I. O’Flynn, Co. Commissioner and Returning Officer, concluded at the Town Hall, Galway. Only 58,317 of the 98,153 voters in Co. Galway went to the poll, and the decision of 57,064 – for 1,253 papers were spoiled – was that eighteen members of the old Council of forty should retain office and that thirteen new members should secure seats.
The Party representation on the new Council will be: Fianna Fáil, 12; Clann na Talmhan, 8; Fine Gael, 2; Independents, 5; Labour, 1; Ind. Farmer, 1; Ratepayers’ Association, 1; Ind. Republican, 1.
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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