Galway in days gone by

1914

Violent assault

Mr. Flynn, manager for Mr. James Lee, grocery and spirit stores, Dominick-street, Galway, was arrested on Saturday night, charged with having committed a violent assault on a man of the labouring class, known as Patsy Owens.

It appears that Owens and several other men were drinking in Lee’s bar and loud talk ensued. Mr. Flynn several times expostulated with Flynn for his conduct in annoying other customers, and eventually jumped over the counter and put Owens out on the street.

When outside the door of the premises, Owens struck Mr. Flynn in the face, and the latter retaliated by striking his assailant in the face. Owens is alleged to have fallen on the edge of the flags face downwards, and sustained a bad wound to his forehead.

Medical opinion was that the man was in a serious condition.

Mr. Flynn was conveyed to the barracks, where he was kept in custody for some time. Late on Saturday night he was released on bail. Owens regained consciousness on Sunday morning, and is reported to be improving.

Exciting sequel

An exciting sequel to the fracas in Lee’s pub occurred last night when Patsy Owens escaped from the Galway Workhouse hospital. Immediately, the authorities were notified of the occurrence.

Sergt. Golding had all his men of the Dominick-street barrack detailed to make an exhaustive search of the surrounding country. It appears that Owens left the hospital some time after 11 o’clock.

There was comparative quiet in the House at the time, and evidently Owens had judged the details of his escape to a nicety. He was first seen at Nile Lodge, or a distance of 400 yards from the Workhouse.

Wearing only a nightshirt, his appearance at midnight created quite a sensation, and many ladies who were returning from the theates had serious nerve shocks.

Sergt. Golding, with half-a-dozen constables, searched the road from Galway to Barna, while others were despatched to the Rahoon district, and in fact to every habitable village within a radius of four miles of the city.

The search was continued during the night and the men, weary and tired, only returned to barracks at 8 o’clock this morning to refresh themselves.

A wire was received at Eglinton-street barrack at 2 o’clock today, stating that Owens had been traced to Oughterard, where he was taken into custody.

1939

Shark battle

A three hours’ battle between a basking shark twenty-five feet long and six men in two curraghs was watched by a crowd of people gathered along the shore at Mynish, Carna, on Tuesday evening.

The men were out fishing for Pollock when they observed the shark sleeping in a cove at Mason Island. Stealing up close to it, they managed to ‘harpoon’ it with a grappling iron attached to a long rope, the end of which they had made fast to the curraghs.

The shark immediately made a dash for the open sea, dragging the curraghs after it at a terrific speed. One of the men had a shot-gun and he fired several shots into the shark’s body.

After each shot, the shark leaped into the air and then took off in a different direction. On one occasion, it doubled back towards the curraghs and half swamped one with the wash of its tail. Only the expert handling of the curraghs by experienced oarsmen averted a disaster. By this time, the people on the shore were becoming quite nervous, and they shouted to the boatmen to let go the rope and give up so dangerous a chase. The latter, however, were loth to forego their prize, and the chase continued in a shower of spray.

Not until they had been dragged over two miles out to sea did the young men decide that discretion was the better part of valour and accordingly loosed their hold of the rope.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.