Galway in days gone by

1942

Farmers’ direct action

Members of Galway County Council’s Finance Committee waxed highly indignant on Saturday when they learned that Ballinakill farmers, employing 100 horses and carts, had sanded main roads to make them safe for horse traffic, having grown weary of waiting for the Council to do the work.

Indignation was intensified when it was learned that the doughty farmers, though the local branch of ClannnaTalmhan, actually had sent in a bill for the job. Opinion was divided about referring the matter to the Council’s solicitor for drastic action, but it was eventually decided to leave it to be dealt with by the new County Council, which is to be elected on the 19th inst.

Careless driving

At Galway Court before District Justice Sean MacGiillarnath, Peter Hernon, Shantalla, Galway, was charged with the careless driving of a horse and sidecar on July 11th. Peter Geoghegan, aged thierteen years, said that he was wheeling an invalid chair in which another boy was seated at the junction of Shop-street and Mainguard-street. He was within a foot of the footpath on his correct side of the road when a sidecar going in the same direction pulled the invalid chair out of his hand and overturned it. The boy who was in the chair was thrown on the road and slightly injured.

Peter Hernon said that when he first saw the boys they were about five feet from the footpath. There were cyclists on the other side of the road. He whistled at the boy who was wheeling the invalid chair and instead of going towards the footpath, he went more to the centre of the road and the side of the car touched the chair.

The Justice fined Hernon ten shillings.

1967

Races fashion

Team with white was the rule of couture at the middle day of Galway Races. Outfits ranging from chiffon coat and frock to dresses and two pieces shared their colour with the neutral one. Black, red, mauve and even orange did it and there was some tinge of what in every hat.

Skin cancer survey

The findings to date of the skin cancer survey being carried out in County Galway, which is at the half-way stage, has confirmed the results of previous unrelated research in a number of countries that people of Celtic origin were more prone to this form of the disease than others.

Big crowds

The weather was a spoilsport for the August holiday weekend in Galway-Salthill, but nevertheless the resort had one of the largest crowds for some years. Over 6,000 visitors travelled on special buses and trains from many parts of the country over the weekend and reported very heavy motor traffic on all roads going to the city.

Rescue service demand

Holiday makers to Salthill are concerned about the lifeguard organisation at Salthill and they are joined in their protests by the only lifeguard at Salthill. The visitors – and 17-year-old lifeguard and secondary school student, David Cunningham – say there should be at least another lifeguard in the resort. So far, there has been at least ten near tragedies from drowning this Summer, the vast majority of those involved being children.

Seven injured

Seven people were taken to Clifden Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday morning and one of them was subsequently removed to Galway Regional Hospital as a result of a collision between two cars at Ardbear.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.