Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1918
Prominent Sinn Féiner arrested
On Thursday morning, Mr. Lawrence Lardner, Athenry, was arrested and conveyed to Galway, and charged before Mr. J. Kilbride, R.M., with illegal drilling at Athenry on March 16 and 17.
Head-Constable Sweeney, Athenry, verified an information in which he stated that at 8.50p.m. on March 16, he was on duty at Athenry railway station, accompanied by Constable Burke, and he saw some eighty Volunteers lined up in two ranks on the platform. Lawrence Lardner, who was in charge of them, gave the command “left turn”, “quick march”.
Witness went up to him and asked him was he drilling the party. Accused replied “I am”. Witness told him he was acting illegally. Accused said “I do not think it is illegal” and marched them into the main road when he gave the command “halt”, “form fours”, “quick march”.
He then brought them to Murphy’s Hotel, where they were halted, and addressed by Frank Fahy, who came from Dublin by train. After the address, accused gave the command “Battalion”, “right turn”, dismiss”.
On St. Patrick’s Day, witness saw accused wearing a Volunteer uniform and in charge of the Volunteer contingents who attended the Sinn Féin demonstration at Athenry. After the meeting, he marched some of the contingents to Murphy’s Hotel, where he gave the command “halt”, “left turn”, “dress up”. He afterwards took out a whistle on which he sounded a long call as a signal for the contingents to be dismissed by their commandants.
Accused declined to cross-examine, and, on refusing to give bail, was remanded in custody for eight days.
1943
Air raid exercised
High officers from Civil Defence Headquarters in Dublin were keenly interested spectators of A.R.P. work in connection with air raid exercises which took place in Galway and Salthill last Sunday. The object of their visit was to ascertain at first hand the state of preparedness here, and we understand that at a meeting of the coordination committee, they expressed considerable satisfaction at what they had seen. The siren car set out on its warning rounds at 2.15pm, and promptly at 3pm, a high explosive bomb dropped on the East side of Eyre Square, wrecking that popular hostelry, Bailey’s Hotel, and adjoining houses and rendering twenty people homeless.
There were a number of casualties and some unfortunate people were trapped in the debris, their rescue being made more difficult by an outbreak of fire in the ruins. A huge bomb crater was created in the street and live electric cables which had been flung down, increased the danger for all concerned.
Of course, the onlookers saw nothing of all this. To their uninformed eyes, the East side of the Square was just the same after the bomb fell as it was before that incident. Instead of being trapped in the debris, the occupants of the adjacent houses were standing at their windows, viewing the operations. Only a great circle chalked in the roadway marked the “crater”.
But when the defence organisations hastened to the scene, it was very different. The L.S.F. took charge of the street and cordoned off the danger zone; rescue and demolition squads dashed up in their lorry, and the firefighters also made a swift appearance, while the first-aid workers attended to the casualties and placed the hospital cases in ambulances. There were two other “incidents” at the Fish Market and in the vicinity of Salthill Post Office.
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.
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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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