Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1915
Clifden murder
Clifden has been the scene of a terrible tragedy, as a result of which Owen Coyne, a Cleggan farmer, aged 60, met his death. The unfortunate man was present at Clifden fair on Friday last.
While he was standing in the street, two young men came along. One of them shoved him, and the other struck him on the head. The man fell heavily on the footpath. He never spoke afterwards, and died fifteen minutes later.
On Sunday, Festy Walsh, a native of Inishturk Island, who had been arrested by the police in the mountains, was charged at a Special Court in Clifden with the wilful murder of Owen Coyne and remanded to Galway Jail.
A clever ruse
At a meeting of the Letterfrack branch of the United Irish League at Tullycross, a letter was read from the C.D. Board, which had been forwarded by Mr. O’Malley, M.P., stating that they had made inquiries re the Curragh farm, Renvyle, and the solicitors for the landlord had stated that no proceedings were pending in any Court for the sale of those lands.
Commenting on the letter, Mr. Lacy said it had been reported by the landlord’s followers some time ago that this farm was to be disposed of. It was now seen that the statement was altogether unfounded, and it was certainly a very mean dodge to spread such a rumour. The report was put out for a purpose and that purpose was very apparent.
It was to lull the people into the belief that all would be well and that the League would not be further needed, on order that the graziers might again have full sway.
1940
Lack of civic spirit
At this week’s meeting of Galway Corporation, Mr. Faller said the fountains all over the town are in a shocking state.
Ald. Miss Ashe: What is our Water Inspector doing?
The Mayor remarked that the Borough Surveyor should also see to the matter.
Mr. Redington said that it was a disgrace the way the fountains in Bohermore were being treated. Every time they were repaired, they were damaged again. In his opinion, these fountains should be taken away altogether and then the people of Bohermore might learn to respect public property.
Ald. O’Flaherty: I am sorry to say that the lack of civic spirit in Galway is most pronounced.
Ald. Miss Ashe remarked that the man who assisted the Water Inspector lived in Bohermore and he should know who was damaging the fountains.
Ald. O’Flaherty: I saw a fountain running and a Corporation employee who was there would not go to the trouble to turn it off; I had to turn it off myself.
Ald. Miss Ashe: If the public fountains were taken away altogether, the people who are being accommodated by them would have to reconnect with the water main.
Mr. Redington concurred and added that it would be no harm to make such people realised that they were getting services for which they were not paying.
Rate collectors warning
Mr. C.I. O Floinn, County Secretary, told the finance committee of Galway County Council he was sick of issuing warnings to rate collectors. He pointed out that where a collection was better than previous year’s collection it did not necessarily mean that it was good. Collections should not be compared with what they should be and not what they had been.
When the committee were considering the remission of penalties imposed on some of the collectors the County Secretary told the members that the collection would not improve while penalties were being remitted.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
