Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1920
Kitchen flogging
One of the most singular cases of flogging yet recorded occurred in Tuam on Saturday night (writes our North Galway representative).
About 11 p.m. a number of men with revolvers knocked at the house of Mr. Pk. Canavan, town clerk, Foster-place, and, finding the door open, rushed into the house.
Mr. Martin Canavan and some young men lodging in the house were sitting in the dining-room, and were about to retire for the night. Mrs. Canavan and her children were in bed.
According to an eye-witness’s account of the affair, there were fourteen or fifteen men in the raiding party. Some were dressed in overcoats and soft hats, and some wore Glengarry caps.
They ordered all in the room to put up their hands, and asked if the house was Cooney’s. Mr. Canavan said Cooney’s house was next door. He and the others were then searched, and a young man named McDonnell, a draper’s assistant was asked if he was a Sinn Féiner.
He said he had nothing to do with Sinn Féin. Then he was asked, “what about your confederates,” and he said he had no confederates. Two private letters from a sister and a brother were taken from him and read, but it does not appear that there was any references in the letters to anything political.
Mr McDonnell was taken out to the kitchen, stripped, and put across a sewing machine, and flogged with leather straps and buckles for about twenty minutes.
Mrs. Canavan came down to inquire what was wrong. She and Mr. Canavan protested against the treatment of Mr. McDonnell, a young man who had no act or part in politics.
She was ordered back upstairs. Her children screamed with fright. Those in the dining-room were asked “on their honour” if they had any gun or revolvers in the house, and on their stating that they had not, they were told to sit down. On leaving, the leader of the party turned back and bade them “good night.”
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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