Galway In Days Gone By

1916

Post Office closure

A strong protest should be made without delay against the clumsy attempt on the part of the Government to bring home the war to the people of the West by closing the Galway Post Office from 12 o’clock to 2p.m., and thus paralysing business at the very busiest period of the day, and the period during which people from the outlying districts would need most to use this public department.

The Government appears to have lost all sense of proportion where Ireland is concerned. Surely, if the hours must be further curtailed, the busiest time of the day was not the time to select either from the viewpoint of public convenience or from that of saving public money.

No attempt was made to consult the public in regard to this restriction, which was carried out in the most arbitrary manner possible.

A sensational report concerning the Post Office got about recently, to the effect that Mr. T. Deakin, Manager of the Galway Marble Works before its decline, had been employed as local Censor. The fiction was founded on the simple fact that Mr. Deakin was employed for eight months as temporary sorter at Galway office, and subsequently got appointed as draughtsman at Renmore. There is no Censor at Galway office.

1941

Maternity hospital

After nine year’s delay which could easily have been avoided, there is a prospect of work commencing in the near future on the erection of a new Central hospital in Galway.

At Saturday’s meeting of the Hospitals and Dispensaries Committee, approval was given to the suggestion of the Local Government Department that the architect be instructed to complete the contract drawings for the maternity block, so as to enable a contract to be taken without delay for this portion of the work.

Pure water supply

After hearing further analyst’s reports on the condition of the Galway water, the Corporation decided to ask professor Rishworth to attend the next meeting with a view to discussing his plans for a pure water supply.

Next week’s meeting also will consider the proposal to go ahead with the chlorination scheme. It is estimated that it would cost about £550 to install the chlorination plant.

Professor Rishworth’s plan when submitted a few years ago was estimated to cost between £17,000 and £20,000, and the Mayor pointed out that the cost would be at least twenty-five per cent higher today.

But, as Mr Healy put it, “The health of the people is more important than money,” and the Temporary Borough Surveyor impressed upon the meeting that “something should be done straight away” as the matter was urgent.

Turf production

It is gratifying to learn from different parts of the Western Province that Connacht is replying gallantly to the Taoiseach’s call for greatly increased turf production. We are not doing too badly in the matter of increased tillage either, although there are a few black spots here and there on the map where the Government has been compelled to take drastic action.

Disturbing reports of isolated attempts to take an unfair advantage of the situation come from one or two areas, but we are glad to note that the majority of turf producers have made no attempt to profiteer. Immediate action must be taken by the authorities to check any tendency in this direction throughout the country.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.