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.