Galway In Days Gone By

1916

Lest we forget

In Ireland this Christmas time there will be mourning in many homes for the brave lads who have given up their lives in the prosecution of the most dreadful war in history. But in other homes, too, there will be vacant chairs, and it is a melancholy and not a very heartening reflection to think that during this time of peace and goodwill these chairs have been rendered vacant because of the attitude of the Empire that claims to be called the protector and champion of small nationalities.

In the House of Commons on Wednesday night, the Irish Leader said “it was an extraordinary thing to think that at this moment there were being held in English prisons between 500 and 600 untried Irish prisoners”.

Some of these men have been close associates and companions of ours in the past. When the old spirit of Ascendancy had to be overcome, and when loyalty of Nationalist to Nationalist was a thing to take pride in, these men have fought by our side.

Of the policy which some of them advocated, this is not the place to speak. It may be that they were not wise in their day and generation; but, at the same time, when the mere party catch cries are put aside, and under the unifying influence of the season of peace and good will, we look upon them only as Irishmen and friends and co-workers of ours for the ideal of a united and independent nation.

Therefore, let us not forget to comfort and cheer the homes in which their absence has left a blank, which alone may be filled when sanity returns to the counsels of the British Empire.

There are others, alas, who can never return. Their bodies lie in unnamed graves, but memory remains as a melancholy legacy of England’s method of governing Ireland – even after years of experience.

The plea of Irishmen at the bar of British justice has failed; and, as in the darkest periods of her history, her sons and daughters will find consolation in appealing before a Throne that shall never pass away, though all the Empires of the world may fade and fail. – Editor.

1941

Expenses questioned

Three members of the Galway County Council who travelled to meetings by motor and billed the Council for car hire – in one case at the rate of £2 10s. per run from Clifden – are to be asked why they chose that method of travelling when they could have travelled much cheaper by ‘bus.

Mr. C.I. O’Flynn, County Secretary, pointed out that if members were to travel by motor to meetings the Council would have to face an enormous bill every year.

The claims for expenses were the first received under recent legislation which gave power to the Council to refund councillors the actual expenses reasonably incurred by them.

Brisk shopping trade

“It is amazing, but Galway’s pre-Christmas shopping crowd is bigger than ever; so is the flow of money for Christmas gifts,” a Tribune reporter was informed at each of the department stores at which he enquired this morning.

At the General Post Office, too, “busier than ever” was the state in which the hard-working staff found themselves. Although no American letters have as yet arrived, no less than one thousand money orders – averaging £6 – were received this morning, while for the five days preceding December 21st, 66,000 items of mail were dispatched.

Worse than slums

Dr. B. O’Beirne, County Medical Officer of Health, decided to serve notice on the Superintendent of the Athenry Agricultural College requesting him to have proper sanitary accommodation provided for four houses occupied by employees of the college, following a recent outbreak of fever.

Dr. O’Beirne said that it had been established that the outbreak was due to improper sanitary accommodation was most objectionable; the like of it would not be seen in the slums of Galway.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.