Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1915
Sociable ducks
At the City Petty Sessions, Delia MacEvaddy, Salthill, summoned Mary Kelly, of the same place, for the larceny of a duck. Miss McEvaddy swore that she lived near Baymount for six years, Mrs. Kelly lived there for three years.
She was in the habit of keeping fowl until Mrs. Kelly came, and then she began to miss them. There was a stable adjoining the premises of both, belonging to defendant, and she (witness) saw some of her ducks in it.
Complainant then went on to refer to a number of other occasions on which she missed some of her ducks. On one occasion she missed five ducks, and she went to the defendant’s house, and the husband let them out.
On last Thursday evening, she missed a duck, and she suspected it would be in Kelly’s shed. She went there and turned a box upside down and found the duck.
Mr. Kenny (solicitor, defending) said his case was that Miss MacEvaddy put the duck under the box, otherwise it was a very strange thing that she knew exactly where it was.
The Chairman said the case was proven that the duck was under Mrs. Kelly’s box, but he did not believe she put it there for the purpose of larceny. It was more to get a dig at her neighbour.
The ducks, he said, amidst laughter, were sociable ducks, as they went over to see Mrs. Kelly’s, and it would be a good thing if both parties had such good feelings as the ducks.
The defendant was cautioned not to try such a joke in the future, as it was a dangerous one.
1940
Public morals suffering
The younger generation would come to the conclusion that amusement was the primary objective in life and that work was only a secondary consideration, said the Very Rev. P. Glynn, Adm., St. Patrick’s, Galway, at Galway Circuit Court on Thursday, before Judge Wyse Power, when opposing the granting of a licence in respect of the Eyre Ballroom, William-street, Galway.
The case came before the Court by way of appeal from the refusal of the District Court to grant a licence for the hall, formerly the site of the old Empire Theatre.
The objection that there were already adequate facilities for dancing in Galway was successfully urged and the Judge dismissed the appeal and refused the licence.
Opposition has been raised in the District Court by the clergy on the grounds that that there were more than enough facilities for dancing in Galway and on the grounds that public morals suffered through dancing.
Rev. Glynn said the number of licences that had already been granted was a bad example to the younger generation. After being up at night dancing, they were not able to do their work the next day.
The Judge said the only evidence on behalf of the applicant was that of the applicant who was admittedly interested in this as a business proposition. There was no evidence that there was demand for another dance hall. Keeping within the evidence, the licence should be refused.
Upset by London raids
A Ballinasloe woman, who gave the excuse that the “bombing of London” had upset her nerves, was also summoned for drunkenness, disorderly conduct and using obscene and abusive language. She told District Justice Cahill that all her family was in London, with the exception of one son in the army.
The prosecuting guard said there were complaints by her neighbours that she was a source of annoyance to them.
Mr. Colohan, solicitor, said her character, generally, was good, unless, perhaps, when she had a few drinks. She had now taken the pledge and promised not to be seen in the court again.
The Justice imposed a fine of 2s 6d on the drunkenness charge and adjourned the other summonses to the next court to test the promise of the defendant.
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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