Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1918
Air visitant
On Friday a carrier pigeon of a beautiful hue visited the gate lodge of Portumna Workhouse, and partook of crumbs of bread from Michael, the intrepid gatekeeper. A casual, who was present, observed something peculiar on both legs and immediately seized the bird.
Upon examination, it was found he was a pigeon of a strange species. On one leg was an aluminium ring, lettered and numbered, and on the other leg was a ring, also lettered and numbered.
Next morning in the small hours, Michael, at the gate of the Union, was aroused from his slumber by a loud knocking, and was at once confronted by Constable Hayden, R.I.C., who demanded and took possession of the pigeon.
At the time of writing, the visitant is a prisoner of the R.I.C. barracks. Nothing definite has leaked out as to where he was bound; although garlands of strange and romantic stories are already woven round his appearance in the district.
Six months dead
On Sunday evening, the dead body of an unknown man was discovered at a place called Caherlea, near Clonboo. The matter was reported to the police and Sergeant Hanglow, and some constables, proceeded to the place and had the body taken out.
It was in an advanced state of decomposition and appeared to be that of a man of the tramp class. The body was fully dressed and there was nothing in the pockets of the clothes.
When found, it was lying face downwards in the drain, which is about 6-foot wide, and 5 foot deep. An inquest was subsequently held on the remains. Dr. Golding deposed that the man was about six months dead. Death, in his opinion, was due to drowning. A verdict was returned accordingly.
1943
Murder trial opens
The trial opened in the Central Criminal Court, Dublin, on Tuesday, before Mr. Justice Overend and a jury, of Martin Griffin (48) of Bushypark, Galway, who is accused of the murder of his wife Bridget, aged 53, at their home on or about February 28th. Griffin pleaded not guilty.
Virtually all the Gardaí and detectives from Galway City gave their evidence in Irish. This necessitated the employment of an interpreter, with the result that the proceedings were slowed down considerably.
Since his mother-in-law signed over the place to his brother-in-law in 1925, there was ill-feeling between the accused and his wife.
In a statement, he said: “I got the hatchet in the stable. I came back then to the bedroom. My wife was then in bed between asleep and awake. She was inside, up against the wall. I hit her with the hatchet – with the back of it – on the left hand side of her head.
“She said something; I do not know what it was. Then I gave her a blow on the head. She rolled out of the bed. She never spoke to me or said anything. I saw her on the floor bleeding. I did not realise that I had done her in until I saw her bleeding on the floor.
“I put on my pants then and my shoes. I changed my shirt and my undershirt then. I saw there were spatters of blood on the pair I took off. When I changed my clothes I brought out the hatched to the harden and hid it in the manure heap in the laneway.”
Commenting on the accused man’s statement, Counsel said the statement was a clear confession of murder.
The law said that drink was not a defence unless it could be established that the accused at the time of the alleged murder was so drunk that he was incapable of forming the intention to commit the crim.
The accused man in this case might have been suffering from the effects of drink, but that did not justify the murder of his wife.
The hearing was adjourned.
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.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
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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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