Galway In Days Gone By

1918

Attempted murder

At Ballinasloe Petty Sessions on Saturday, Michael Colohan was charged with the attempted murder of Miss Mary Colohan at Dunlo Street on April 4 last, by cutting her face and neck.

Miss Colohan, the injured girl, deposed she remembered the day in question, and was in the shop when Colohan came in, at 3.45.

She was alone inside the counter, and he was outside at the lower end. Accused asked for a half-glass of whiskey, which she was proceeding to get, and had just taken down the bottle off the shelf.

Mr. Lea, D.I.: What happened then?

Witness: He (Colohan) drew something like a razor across my face.

Mr. Lea: Did he say anything at the time he did this?

Witness: He said that that would be the last half-glass of whiskey ever I would fill.

Mr. Lea: What did you do then?

Witness: I screamed and shouted as loud as I could, and then Mr. Murray came into the shop. I was afterwards attended by Dr. Collins, and was subsequently placed under Dr. Rossiter’s care in the hospital and was discharged last Monday.

Mr. Wade (R.M.): Had you any previous quarrel with this man?

Witness: No.

Dr. T. Tennison Collins deposed that Miss Colohan was sitting in the kitchen bleeding profusely from a wound about seven inches long and extending from the right side of the chin to a point about two inches below the left ear.

There was an artery also cut at the left side of the neck and he put in eight silver stitches and dressed the wounds. Her life was in danger for some time, and he had her removed to hospital. Mr. Wade said the charge was a very serious one altogether and he would refuse bail. The accused was returned for trial to Galway Assizes.

1943

Buses stopped

For the first time in a quarter of a century, the city of Galway is without a passenger omnibus service in consequence of the shortage of petrol. The service may be restored if this country receives a supply of petrol which is expected to arrive in a fortnight’s time. Should the supply fail to arrive, a situation of great gravity will arise so far as transport is concerned. In the meantime, efforts by the Mayor and the Chamber of Commerce to secure even a minimum omnibus service for the city by a slight readjustment of some long-distance services have failed to achieve the desired result. A possible solution of the difficulty would be the employment of one or two diesel-engined double-decker omnibuses such as are still operating in Cork and Limerick. The Galway traders consider it most unfair that Galway should be victimised by the complete stoppage of the ‘bus services. They consider that they have been very shabbily treated and express strong resentment.

House fire

A house, the property of Mr. Joseph S. Young, Galway, situated at Sickeen, was considerably damaged by fire on Sunday night. Galway Fire Brigade fought the flames with two lines of hose for some hours before the fire was brought under control. It is believed that the fire originated when embers were blown from a grate onto the floor by a down-draft in a chimney.

Butter shortage

It was stated at a meeting of Galway Chamber of Commerce on Monday night that while butter retailers in Dublin were receiving eight ounces of butter per week for each of their customers, retailers in Galway were receiving only two ounces.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.