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.