Galway In Days Gone By

1916

Asylum patient’s death

On Tuesday, Mr. M.A. Hayden, Coroner for East Galway, held an inquest at the Asylum, Ballinasloe, into the circumstances surrounding the death of a patient named McDermott – Mr. Lea, D.I., conducted the case on behalf of the Crown.

Mr. Hugh Tully, head attendant, gave evidence of the deceased being admitted to the Asylum on the 21st march, 1906.

James Callaghan deposed that he was charge attendant on the 9th of the present month. He was taking out the patients from the dayroom to the yard to get to the dining room for breakfast, when his attention was directed to McDermott who was sitting on a seat, helpless, and was held by two attendants.

McDermott was then unconscious and there was blood on his mouth and left eye. Witness sent for Dr. Murnane.

Thomas Hogan, an attendant, said he saw a patient named Mannion having a hold of the deceased, whom he pulled to the floor and kicked in the mouth.

Peter Molloy, another attendant, deposed that he saw what occurred. Deceased, when he got the kick in the mouth, fell sideways and struck his head against the form.

Dr. J. Murnane deposed that the cause of death, as he ascertained after making a post-mortem examination of the body with Dr. Robinson, was haemorrhage of the brain, which would more likely be caused by the fall than by the kick.

The jury brought in a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony.

The Tribune

It will interest our readers to know that we had in contemplation, when the war put an end to the enterprise for the present, the purchase of additional machinery which would turn out the “Tribune” as a 16-pp. rather than an 8-pp. paper as at present, and in addition, fold, cut and paste the pages in book form.

We hope, as soon as normal conditions have returned, to give our readers one of the best turned-out and most convenient weekly papers published in Great Britain or Ireland.

Meanwhile, if our readers will adopt the simple device of cutting the edges of the pages with a penknife or paper-knife when they receive their copy, they will find the convenience and pleasure of their weekly news budget enhanced considerably.

1941

Port of the West

The discussion which took place in the Galway Technical School last week on the possible development of Galway port and out coastwise traffic is of interest not only to the City of Galway, but to the entire Province of Connacht and adjoining counties.

There is no reason why this great Western seaport should not be restored to the prosperity that it enjoyed in bygone centuries and the successful development of its seaborne traffic would be reflected in the increased prosperity of all Connacht which would follow as a corollary.

Galway is Ireland’s Western gateway. It is the natural port of call for all trans-Atlantic shipping. It should possess mercantile fleets of its own to send across the Atlantic and to Continental ports. Those towering grey warehouses fringing the docks that bear mute witness to the former glories of the port should be eclipsed by even larger and more imposing structures to house the traffic of the future.

The idea of reviving the fortunes of the port is by no means new. It has been strongly advocated in the columns of the Tribune for a quarter of a century.

Water pollution

The suggestion that the pollution of the Galway City water supply might be caused within the city and not outside was made at a meeting of the Galway Board of Health, after a report was heard which stated that there should be no question of the Tuam sewage contributing to the pollution.

Guard stops runaway

The prompt and plucky action of Garda John Conalty, Eglinton-st. Barracks, Galway, in stopping a runaway horse in Williamsgate-st. on Friday prevented an accident which might have had serious consequences.

The horse, the property of the G.S.R., was harnessed to a cart which was being unloaded outside a shop when it took fright and bolted down the street, on which there were some children at the time. Garda Conalty jumped on to the roadway and, catching the horse’s bridle, succeeded in bringing it to a stop.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.