Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1917
A cowardly practice
For some time past, a large number of dogs have been found poisoned in the streets of the city. Last week, a valuable dog, the property of Mr. W.E. Binns, B.E., was destroyed. The poison is laid in the principal streets on bread and meat. Such a cruel proceeding is strongly to be condemned.
Price of light
Indignation continues to be expressed by consumers in the town at the increase in the price of electric light. A movement is on foot to call a public meeting in the Town Hall to protest against the increase, and to appoint a deputation to wait on the Manager in regard to the matter.
Cocks ablaze
On Friday night, at about 10 o’clock, four cocks of hay, the property of Mr. Hugh Fahy, went on fire at Terryland near the waterworks. Mr. Molloy, the Town Steward, and the Fire Brigade, assisted by the police, were soon at the scene of the conflagration, and set to work to subdue the flames. They succeeded in saving a number of stacks of corn, but the hay was completely destroyed. A claim for £150 malicious injury was lodged at the meeting of Galway Urban Council on Thursday by Mr. Fahy.
A great catch
The Claddagh Fishing Fleet has been having the time of its life during the week. Thirty boards were out on Tuesday night, and returned with a magnificent take of herring, the principal shoals being caught in the Ardfry district. It is an interesting fact that the ordinary fishing boats outdid the C.D. Board trawlers, inasmuch as the principal takes were obtained in the shallow waters of Ardfry, where the deeper nets of the trawlers could not be utilised. This is the first time since the ceremony of blessing the waters of the Bay took place a month ago that there has been any successful herring fishing, and the swarthy and energetic sailors of the Claddagh are availing of the advantage gained with energy. Herrings were sold in Galway for export at 17s. and 18s. per cwt., as compared with 5s. and 6s. per cwt. in pre-war times. Some men who had shares in the boats made as much as £1/5s. on their single night’s fishing.
1942
Make roads safe
The importance of repairing the small roads of the county and making the main roads safe for horse traffic was discussed by the meeting of Galway County Council. Co. Manager Mr. O’Flynn pointed out that if they left the road margins untarred that the roads would rapidly deteriorate.
Mr. O’Kelly said that they had a better type of road in Tipperary – a road on which horses could travel in safety.
The County Surveyor said that he had laid the Threadneedle Road in Galway with creo-phalt and he could lay other roads with creo-phalt as was done in Tipperary, but the Council had refused to allow him the money – it would mean more expenditure.
Mr. Beegan said that if the County Surveyor had explained that matter more clearly to the Council in the past, they would have been more generous.
County Surveyor: For the past 18 years, I have been bringing forward that proposal to make the roads non-slippery. I will have it in my estimate again.
Ballinasloe Show success
An increase in the number of entries in the horse, cattle, garden and home industries sections of Ballinasloe Show on Monday and Tuesday more than offset a decline in the entries in the farm and poultry sections, and the total number of exhibits was over one thousand, and higher than last year’s figure.
Widespread potato rot
Further reports of potato rot continue to come in from an increasing number of areas in Connemara. Although digging operations have not yet commenced on a large scale, the indications are that the rot has been fairly widespread and alarming.
Reports from Carna and the Aran Islands are almost as disquieting as those from the Carraroe and Lettermore areaas. Unfortunately, the flour supply in the latter areas is still anything but satisfactory and strict rationing is being exercised by the storekeepers.
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.
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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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