Galway In Days Gone By

Conscription protest

At the meeting of the Galway Urban Council on Thursday, a resolution was proposed by Mr. Silke protesting against the application of the Man-Power Bill to Ireland.

Mr. Silke said as that was their first meeting since the Government attempted to enforce conscription they should enter their strongest protest against the application of the Bill.

Ireland had contributed more than her proportion of food and men in the war up to present. That seemed to be all forgotten, and the Government had decided, it appeared, to enforce conscription in a way not attempted or carried out in any country,

“I think it is up to every Irishman worth his salt, no matter how he may differ with his fellow countryman, to stand shoulder to shoulder and protest against this treatment of Ireland by the British Government,” said Mr. Silke.

Mr. J. Griffin, seconding, said there was no country in the world which gave more to the Army and Navy that Ireland, and Galway had given so largely there were no further available.

Jail for demonstration

At a Crimes Court in Galway on Monday, before Messrs. Jasper Whyte and J.B.K. Hill, R.M.’s, Lawrence Lardner, Athenry, was charged with illegal drilling on March 16 and 17.

Asked if he had any questions to put to Head-Constable Sweeney, accused said he had not, that he was a soldier of the Irish Republic, and denied the right of the Court to try him.

The Bench, after consultation, ordered accused to be imprisoned for two months with hard labour, in Galway jail for each offence, the sentences to run concurrently, and to find bail at the end of that period or in default, three months’ imprisonment with hard labour.

1943

Attack on house

Martin Flaherty, Derrartha, Carraroe, and his brother. William, were each sentenced to a month’s imprisonment with hard labour when charged with maliciously damaging the dwellinghouse of Mrs. Nora Flaherty, Derrartha, on December 28th, 1942. Another brother named Patrick was bound to the peace on a similar charge. Notice of appeal was given by Mr. M. Conroy, defending solicitor.

Mrs. Nora Flaherty said that, after she had brought her children into the house and closed the door against the Flahertys, who had been attacking them, the Flahertys attacked the house with stones and broke all the windows and some Delph which was on the kitchen table.

She denied that she had called Martin Flaherty a rope-stealer or that she had accused him of murdering a man named Pat Keane.

Price fixing

Mr. Lemass announced in the Dáil on Thursday that he was taking steps to institute a system of price control covering a wide range of all types of clothing. There was a tendency in certain quarters, he said, for prices of children’s and other clothing to rise.

Bawneen cloth, which could have been bought in Galway, Kerry or Cork recently at 4s. 6d. a yard, was retailing in Dublin at 16s. 6d., and sports jackets made from it were sold at four guineas and six guineas.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.