Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1915
German spy arrested
On Wednesday evening last, a well-dressed man named Mason, from Roscrea, was noticed around the docks, his object, as alleged at the time, being to procure undesirable information for the enemy.
The attention of the police there was directed to him, and he was taken into custody as a German spy. The man was very indignant at being taken up, and refused to answer the usual queries put by the police authorities.
Eventually, he satisfied the authorities as to his nationality and business, and he was discharged.
Cyclist shot
On Wednesday evening, 28th inst., Jas. Ward, farmer, Kilariff, when cycling to his home about 9.30p.m., from his brother’s public house at Kiltulla, was fired on by an unknown party from behind the road fence, four pellets lodging in his leg.
A police escort accompanying Ward, observed at a distance of 70 yards, two men running away. The police fired on the assailants without apparent result. Ward, who was made the object of a similar attack last June, was a member of the Dunsandle Estate Committee, the division of the Dunsandle grazing lands by that body a few years ago causing considerable dissatisfaction.
The outrage caused not a little sensation in the district, as it was believed that a settlement had been arrived at by the lands in question being handed over to the Estates Commissioners for re-division.
1940
Ireland on war footing
This country will defend its neutrality to the very limit of its resources if the occasion to do so should arise. That, in a nutshell, is the substance of An Taoiseach’s speech at Eyre Square on Saturday night,
The grave dangers facing this country following upon the European war formed the theme of his speech, the primary purpose of which would appear to be to rouse people from the apathy which seemed to settle down upon them after the excitement caused by the outbreak of hostilities had died down.
That we were comfortably outside the war zone was, up to a few weeks ago, the opinion of nearly everybody in the country, but recent events have given cause for a certain doubt and anxiety about that point of view.
The importance of the aeroplane in modern warfare has been demonstrated in a way which was not believed possible up to a few years ago. We know the distance planes can travel today and know that if there was any reason for it we would be well within the war zone.
The Government has decided to put the country on a war footing. All men on the reserve list of the National Army have already been called to the colours.
But the numbers gathered by the calling up of the reserves and volunteers would not nearly be adequate for the present purpose and, in the words of An Taoiseach, “we would want, in addition, some thousands of recruits as well as a local security corps who would co-operate with the Gardaí in each area” to defend our liberties against anybody who might try to invade them.
Families migrate
Six families from the Cunnade and Carraghduff districts in Mountbellew have been migrated to Meath lands in the vicinity of the historic Hill of Tara. The Forestry Department has taken over the greater portion of the Bellew Estate and are working on it already. Many residents in Mountbellew who have not even a garden lot are disappointed that this land, or some of it, that has not been divided amongst them.
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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