Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1920
Coal shortage
Trading at Galway Port has almost become a thing of the past. If something is not done quickly to restore shipping, the City’s plight will go from bad to worse.
Mr. Martin McDonogh, the Chairman of the Urban Council, stated at the monthly meeting of that body yesterday (Thursday) that if the lack of trade at the docks continued the labourers and other officials employed in connection with the harbour would have to be dismissed. This dearth of shipping is causing coal to be scarce and dear.
Even a cargo of coal cannot be got to Galway – they could not get any ships to carry the coal, the Chairman said. If they were allowed to get coal from Glasgow the freight would be only 27s. a ton, but the Coal Controller would not permit them to get their coal there.
Mr. McDonogh was taking part in a discussion on the question of fixing prices of coal in Galway, and detailed the difficulties of his own firm to get the commodity.
They would be allowed, he said, to get coal at Cardiff, but the freight from there would be £2 a ton.
“A lot of fellows who never were able to do – and never did – any business for themselves,” was his description of the Government officials who were thus mismanaging affairs.
“They know nothing about business and they upset everything,” he added.
Mr. T. C. McDonogh said that the coal would be cheap enough in Galway if it could be got direct from Glasgow.
The Chairman said they usually got their year’s supply of coal shipped to Galway in summer as shippers did not want to send their vessels to West coast ports in winter.
They could not get that done during the past year. Last week they got a little cargo of 280 tons to Dublin. The vessel was held up there for some time with the result that they had to pay 8s. a ton for demurrage.
Mr. Cunningham: We have no use of a port of harbour at Galway at all if things continue as they are.
Chairman: The Coal Controller is like a small god, and you cannot go near him.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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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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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
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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.
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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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