Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1917
Highway robbery
On Thursday, about 5.45a.m., the mail car returning to Loughrea from Athenry was attacked and held up by two disguised men at Cottage Hill about a half-mile from Loughrea, apparently with the object of robbery of Old Age Pension silver.
The driver was pulled off the car, beaten, gagged and tied to a gate with a rope. All the bags, except the parcel sacks and bag containing the silver were emptied on the road by one of the men, while the other held the horse. The man engaged in emptying the bags remarked that what they wanted was not there, and having released the driver, both decamped. It is understood that in a bag which the raiders failed to discover was a sum amounting to almost £300. The police have been enquiring into the matter, but so far, no arrests have been made.
Shooting outrage
Two shooting outrages occurred in the county during the past week. On the night of the 28th ult., at Loughgeorge, a man named Michael Coyne was fired at, and the shot lodged in his leg. He was found in a dazed condition a short time afterwards, and was removed to the Galway County Hospital, where he is being treated. Coyne can give no explanation to the police as to the cause of the occurrence, and is altogether very reticent about the matter.
The second outrage took place on last Friday at Woodstock, near Moycullen, when a room on the house of a Mrs. Noone was fired into, two shots being discharged. There were four sons of Mrs. Noone sleeping in the room fired into, and, as in the former case, no explanation can be given. The police are actively engaged investigating the two outrages.
Orchard robbing
There appears to be something in the nature of an epidemic in Galway for pilfering orchards, and owners of fruit gardens are experiencing hardships in having their ripening fruit stolen after they had devoted much care and attention to cultivation. During the week, a lady, assisted by members of her family, collected over a thousand apples in her garden, and placed them in a hamper in the garden while they went to lunch. On their return, they found that the hamper had been emptied.
1942
Plucky rescue
At about 6.40p.m. on Tuesday, September 29th, an elderly woman who had ventured out on to one of the lower springboards at the men’s bathing place at Blackrock, Salthill, fell into the water. The incident was seen from her house by Miss Craughwell who immediately notified her bother, Mr. Lawrence Craughwell, who was just sitting down to a meal at the time.
Mr. Craughwell rushed to the scene about 150 yards away and fully-clothed, jumped into the sea, which was in flood tide at the time and, with some difficulty, managed to bring the woman ashore. On enquiry at the hospital, our representative was informed that the woman was progressing favourably.
Mad kleptomaniac
A man who was described by his solicitor as “a mad kleptomaniac rather than a criminal”, appeared at Galway Court on Thursday, before District Justice Mac Giollarnath, on five charges of larceny and one charge of having in his possession a quantity of poteen on which the full revenue duty had not been paid.
In pleading for his client, Mr. Frank Conway, Messrs. Emerson and Conway, said that this was one of the most remarkable larceny cases he had ever experienced. Defendant had made no attempt to convert the articles or to enrich himself at other people’s expense, but had stolen them as a mad kleptomaniac rather than a criminal.
In convicting the defendant and sentencing him to six months’ imprisonment on each of the larceny charges, the District Justice said that he would make the sentences suspensory chiefly because the goods had been recovered. In this case of the poteen, he imposed a fine of £100, mitigated to £6.
Mayor’s Fuel Fund
At a cost of early £1,000, close on 700 poor families in Galway city were provided with one cwt. of free fuel every week during last winter by the Mayor’s Fuel Fund.
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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