Galway In Days Gone By

1915

City ambulance

Lady Philippa Waithman and Captain Waithman appeared before Galway Urban Council in reference to the provision of an ambulance for the town. Capt. Waithman gave expression to the desire of the military and naval authorities to have an ambulance provided for the town.

The one at present in use was disreputable, and patients carried over bad Galway roads suffered terribly. Galway should be better supplied in this respect.

Another thing was that the ambulance should be at the race course in readiness for accidents similar to those which occurred three years ago when three riders were badly injured, including the late Capt. O’Brien Butler, who had since died for his country.

The total cost would be about £80 or £85, and he would make a sporting offer that the Council contribute one-third. Lady Phillipa and himself would contribute another one-third and the Race Committee might contribute the remaining third.

Threw stone at husband

At Galway Petty Sessions, Sergt. McMullen charged Bridget Hession, Cross-street, with riotous and indecent behaviour on the 25th june. She threw a stone weighing three or four pounds at her husband, who was a sailor home from the Dardanelles.

Chairman: He was nearly as well off at the Dardanelles. It is a poor thing after escaping from a German submarine to be killed by his wife (laughter). Defendant was fined 5s. and costs.

Public nuisances

At the weekly meeting of Galway Urban Council, Mr. P.J.B. Daly, solicitor, wrote complaining of the nuisances committed at Battery lane.

Mr. M. Cunningham: That is a public passage. Would there be any possibility of getting a loan to build a public urinal?

Mr. Young: It would be well if we had one in the Square.

Chairman: There is no use in applying for money now. You won’t get it.

Mr. Cunningham: It is a public shame to have Galway without a lavatory, when people are coming into fairs and markets so often. The Chairman said the Council was doing its best in the matter.

1940

Revolting revelations

So revolting were some of the revelations made at this week’s meetings of the Galway Corporation that, in order to spare our readers’ feelings, we have been compelled to delete portions of the reports made by the Medical Officer of Health and the Sanitary Inspector.

Dr. J.F. McHugh reported that he had inspected a tenement in Middle-street on the opposite side to Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe. Six families occupied the seven rooms and in all, there were 23 people living there, including a number of children and two babies.

All the rooms were dirty, the floors were defective and the walls damp, unclean and had not been limewashed. There was no glass in the windows, with the result that the rain came into the rooms.

The stairs were dangerous, as the banister had been removed in a number of places and the children were liable to fall off and get killed. A number of slates were missing from the roof, thus allowing rain to come in and causing dampness.

At the back of the tenement, there was a small yard which was in a filthy condition. In one corner was a lavatory with no water in the cistern with the result the basin could not be flushed…” The report went on to describe the shocking expedients to which the tenants were driven.

“The state of this tenement is a grave danger not only to the occupants but to the public in general and at any time may cause a serious epidemic. It should be immediately condemned and these people removed to some proper place of habitation,” added his report.

Ald. Miss Ashe said they had discussed this matter before and had gone to the trouble of sending these people to Bohermore, but they had come back and taken possession of the place again.

The Acting Town Clerk said the only way to manage the situation was to put them out and demolish the place altogether.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.