Galway In Days Gone By

1920

A mother’s screams

Mr. Ml. Walsh, of Moycullen, in a statement to the Press thus describes recent events in the district:

“On Monday week shooting and terrorism prevailed in Moycullen. My mother’s house, situated a short distance from the village, was surrounded by a lorry of mixed forces, who began operations by letting the pigs out of the sty and wounding some fowl in the yard.

They killed four geese and took away two. Some entered the house and made a thorough search, smashing and tumbling everything about.

When they left, jewellery was missed. They terrified my mother, and forced my sister into the fields at the point of the rifle and revolver to bring in her brothers. We were soon discovered in an adjoining field, brought down to the public road and threatened to be shot. We were next lined up against the wall. Shots whizzed past us. Ash plants were unsparingly used on our hands and shoulders. We were afterwards beaten with rifle butts.

Timothy was wounded on the jaw. Were it not for my mother who was present and continually screaming, our condition would be worse. At one time we would have been imprisoned for beating a donkey as ourselves were beaten on this occasion.”

Many men in the Moycullen district are in a serious condition as a result of the day’s occurences. The ostensible reason for the terrorism was to secure information regarding the whereabouts of Mr. P. W. Joyce, N.T.

Patrick Kelly, Loughwell, who received a merciless mauling, is in a precarious condition. He has been anointed. Other victims include P. Toole, M. Conor and George Coyne, two of whom were stripped to be flogged.

Prosperity and progress

At the first annual general meeting of the Drumgriffin Milling Company known as Messrs. Harward Wade Son and Co., Ltd., on Monday, the managing director read the director’s report and statement of accounts up to March 31, 1920, which was considered highly satisfactory by the shareholders present.

It was very gratifying to find, considering that the mill had been only some seven months working, and that the initial expenses were necessarily heavy, that a nice profit had been realised. The managing director was complimented on the encouraging success of the undertaking which, all agreed, was mainly due to his untiring energy in various capacities.

It was unanimously decided to carry the profits of the first year to the next account. The retiring directors and auditors were re-elected for the ensuing year; and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Rev. P. Nicholson, C.C., Belarra (Chairman) and Rev. Bro. Brendan, O.S.F., Errew.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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