Galway In Days Gone By

1920

Commotion at meeting

Wild scenes of commotion marked the annual meeting of the County Galway National Teachers’ Association which was held in the Town Hall, Galway, on Saturday.

The noise began when Mr. P. O’Cleary, Kilcolgan, said the members of the C.E.C. were “exactly like Judas who betrayed Our Lord,” in reference to their action on the Education Bill. There were loud cries of “Withdraw,” and amid much confusion, Mr. O’Cleary would not be allowed to continue his address which was mainly directed towards a criticism of the opening speech of the Chairman (Mr. M. Curley) who quoted the words of the Bishop of Raphoe describing the C.E.C. as “gentlemen as respectable as are to be found in Ireland.”

Mr. O’Cleary asked leave to be allowed to explain his remark but his was refused, and Mr. Power proposed and Mr. J. Heffernan seconded that he be expelled from the Association. An amendment by Mr. Parker, seconded by Mr. McClew, that Mr. O’Cleary be asked to withdraw from the meeting was passed.

Hospital in peril

On the financial year ending March 31, there will be a balance against the Galway County Hospital Committee of £4,000. The institution of which the sick poor of the county and the University clinical school depend is in perilous plight.

Saturday’s meeting seriously discussed closing its down, at least for a time. Dr. Clinch, Local Government Board Medical Inspector, asseverated that any expedients that might be employed to restore its solvency would but delay “the evil day.”

Fortunately, there are two men on the committee who combine optimism with unfailing grit and pertinacity. If the County Hospital remains, if the capacity for local administration is not to be brought to utter discredit, the tangle must be unwound: the men who have not grudged time, energy or perseverance in the exasperating task are Mr. Michael McNeil, the Chairman of the Committee, and Mr. Thomas C. McDonogh, one of its most attentive members.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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