Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1918
Shooting
Another shooting outrage occurred on Sunday night at Kilroe, Drumgriffin, near the residence of Mr. J.G. Alcorn, J.P. On the night, after ten o’clock, William Burke, steward in Mr. Alcorn’s employment, was returning from his brother’s house in Kilcoona, and when about five hundred yards from Kilroe House, three gunshots were fired, inflicting two serious wounds on Burke’s right leg.
He shouted “Murder!”, “Help!” when the shots hit him. The shots were heard a mile away by a police patrol.
The shooting took place in a portion of the road which is thickly wooded, and when the police patrol arrived, they found Burke lying unconscious on the roadside and bleeding profusely from his wounds.
He was taken to Mr. Alcorn’s residence, where he was attended by the Rev. Fr. Nicholson, C.C., Annaghdown, and Dr. Goulding, Headford. He was removed to Galway Co. Hospital on Monday, where he lies in a precarious condition and reported not out of danger.
From the nature of the wounds, and the large number of pellets extracted, it is believed the shots were fired at about a range of ten yards.
No motive can be assigned for the affray beyond the suspicion of dissatisfaction at Mr. Alcorn’s refusal to set more of his lands on conacre to people in the neighbourhood.
1943
Increasing train discomfort
Recently, peeping somewhat apprehensively into the near future, we speculated on the plight of Galway citizens when the holiday rush of visitors crowds them off the local ‘buses. Nevertheless, we are not without hope that – shortage of petrol and scarcity of tyres notwithstanding – Mr. Rattray may be able to devise some means out of our difficulties in this respect when the time comes.
Another transport which is imminent concerns the train service between Galway and the Capital. We all know what an ordeal a journey between those two points proved during the height of the holiday season last year. It was not an uncommon experience to have to make the entire journey of 130 miles standing in a crowded corridor.
Four splendid steel coaches of the most modern type, a credit to the Irish builders and the company that owned them, had been employed on the Western run, but, when the number of trains per day was reduced, these vehicles were taken off and some of the oldest and most out-of-date rolling stock that survived the company’s yards took their place.
The only excuse that we have heard given for this curious action was that the moth-eaten dug-outs could carry more passengers in every compartment. The explanation never was very convincing.
Probably it is with the same idea that it is now proposed to abolish the dining car between Galway and Dublin. Somebody at Kingsbridge says: “Let us cut out the diner and we can put on another old shandrydan and carry another hundred passenger sardines.”
It cannot be argued that the diner did not pay. It must have paid because it was always crowded. It cannot be a shortage of food supplies because things have not yet come to pass in this country so far as catering is concerned.
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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