Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1916
Conspirators’ little minds
At the meeting of the South Galway Executive of the United Irish League held in Loughrea, Mr. W.J. Duffy, M.P., delivered a courageous and patriotic speech.
He pointed out to the people the necessity for maintaining their organisation at full strength during this period of crisis, and added that the plain duty of Ireland was to stand by England in this war.
He warned his hearers against the mischief-makers, who only display activity when there is injury to be effected to the Irish Party and the Irish cause. It was a direct appeal, and it was received with enthusiasm by the staunch Nationalists who have made the Loughrea Executive one of the finest bodies of its kind in Ireland.
Editorially, we commended it to our readers, and we have no doubt that its effect was considerable. But it had an effect also of quite another kind.
The little minds of the conspirators were at work, and they could not face the courage and patriotism of the Executive in the only way that would be worthy of decent and clean-minded Irishmen.
On the night of the 26th, when an entertainment in aid of the Red Cross – to supply funds to succour wounded men upon the battlefield – was being held. The conspirators, under the cloak of night, razed the walls around Mr. Duffy’s lands at Clostoken to the ground.
It was a deed of courage worthy of half-developed mauvais sujets.
1941
Foot and Mouth
The spread of foot and mouth disease is a most serious matter for our farmers and for the community as a whole. Unless the farmers, without stint or reservation, co-operate with the Department of Agriculture and the Garda Siochána, the evil results will be widespread; there will be much hardship and heavy loss.
The Department is moving energetically to stamp out infection. The suspension of fairs is a great aid in this direction. Possibly if the fairs are held up for about two more weeks, all may be well, for by that time, the disease should have manifested itself wherever present.
Any farmer who bought cattle recently should keep the beasts under special observation and isolate them if possible. A special check should be kept also on the movement of dogs. The fact that there is disease in Birr means that it is very near Galway.
Council rents row
The increased rents of the Corporation houses provided more trouble for the Aldermen and councillors at this week’s meeting of that body. A representative of the tenants who appeared before the Corporation, declared that the increase was unjustified. The tenants felt that they would not be justified in paying it considering that there were no repairs done to their houses.
In the opinion of the Town Clerk, the houses are too cheap at their present rent. Mr. Faller said that if the Corporation looked after their property as other landlords in the city looked after their own, the rents would be three times as high.
“At the present time, it is impossible for me to support my three sons and myself on six shillings per week widow’s pension and pay 7s. 9d. per week rent,” stated Mrs. Mary Flaherty, tenant of one of the Corporation houses at the Claddagh.
Men at work
There are sixty men employed on the Salthill park development scheme and eight men on the Munster Lane development scheme. A report submitted to the Galway Corporation stated that the men engaged at Salthill were gardening, forming paths and excavating and levelling the slopes at the back of the park.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
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.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
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.
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
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
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.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
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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