Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1916
Woollen mills death
The town was shocked on Monday night to hear that a young girl had been killed at the woollen mills. Galway, not being an industrial centre, is not accustomed to such fatalities, and the news, which spread like wildfire, created something of a sensation.
The fact, too, that the victim was a young girl, and that the accident occurred within a few minutes of the closing time, helped to deepen the sad aspect of the occurrence.
The victim’s name was Delia Kelly, of Fairhill, and she was employed as a weaver in the factory. The machine at which she was engaged having got out of order, she called the tuner. He operated on the instrument for some time, and when he thought he had it right, once more he released the lever.
Meanwhile, the girl, who had been looking on, got struck by the loom and was fatally injured in the head, death being instantaneous.
Fever outbreak
At the last meeting of the Oughterard Board of Guardians, the Master reported that five fever patients from Derartha, Lettermore, had been admitted since last meeting, and, in consequence, he had to employ additional nurses. Dr. O’Brien, M.O., reported that the fever patients were convalescent. At Saturday’s meeting of the Loughrea Guardians, Dr. Ryan, M.O., reported that several fever patients had been admitted to the fever hospital during the past week. The fever was of a very virulent nature.
1941
Dramatic rescue
Galway Corporation on Thursday decided to provide living accommodation in a Small Dwellings Act house at Water Lane for the families who lost their homes when a building in which they had been residing at Lombard-street, Galway, was destroyed by fire on Tuesday morning.
The Borough Surveyor reported the fire call was received at 7a.m. and the brigade were on the scene within ten minutes. They had the fire under control at 10a.m. A further outbreak occurred at 7.30pm as a result of a smouldering beam.
The house stands on the ground which up to the time of the acquisition of Galway Jail had been intended as the site for the new Galway Cathedral. Originally the property of a Mrs. Moloney, it was purchased by the late Most Rev. Dr. O’Doherty, Bishop of Galway.
The fire is understood to have started some time after 6a.m. in a room occupied by a Mrs. Donohue and her child and her creams roused members of other families in the house.
Mr. Fred Herterich, a pork butcher residing in Lombard-street, who was first on the scene, told our reporter that he was roused by the screams of women. He ran out and saw flames leaping up. There did not seem to be anyone coming out so he ran up the stairs and pounded on the first door he came to.
He told the occupants who were screaming inside to come out as the house was on fire. They paid no attention to him and he ran to the next room where he repeated his warning. The women were very hysterical and were screaming all the time.
“I could not stand the heat any longer,” said Mr. Herterich, “so I ran down the stairs again. The smoke was very overpowering at this time.”
When he got outside he saw that nearly all the women were leaning out the windows. One woman threw her two children out to him from a second floor window and he was just able to catch them in his arms. The woman then threw herself out and he was just able to break her fall.
By this time, he continued, the confusion was terrible and those who were still left in the house were in a bad state of panic. People who had gathered outside the house urged them to jump, and they did so, five of them sustaining injuries.
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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