Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By

1915
The cursed Huns
Rev. Daniel McHugh, formerly C.C. of Ballinasloe, volunteered for service at the beginning of the war, and is now Catholic Chaplain to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He visited this county for a few days last week-end, and preached a striking sermon at the Children’s Mass at Ballinasloe.
He described some of the hardships that have to be borne by our kith and kin in the trenches. In his duties as Army Chaplain, he has been eye-witness of these.
He said that amongst the congregation there might be pro-Germans, but if they witnessed the sights he did, they would be no longer. Their churches in Belgium and France were shelled by the Germans until not a stone was left standing.
The crimes of the cursed Huns could not be realised, and he who had witnessed them could scarcely realise them yet. The acts of cruelty by the Germans were unthinkable.
As an instance, he related one of his experiences where there were two soldiers who were between the lines, and were trying to get back to their comrades. They were lying on the ground, and just gave a turn over every half hour or so.
The Germans saw them and directed their liquid fire on them, and when it struck them, they automatically went on fire and were burned to ashes. He saw the poor fellows in their awful agony, being consumed by this fire, and nothing could be done for them.
They did not die like heroes, because they were murdered by the cursed Germans with their fiendish liquid fire.
He said it was not France’s war, it was not Russia’s war, it was not Belgium’s war, it was not England’s war, it was not Ireland’s war, but it was a common war to crush the greatest and cruellest monster the world ever knew of – a war to wipe out the great curse of the world, the cursed Hun.
1940
New fire hose
Galway has a Merryweather fire engine, but a large part of the hose equipment is defective and leaking badly. At Thursday’s meeting of the Corporation, it was agreed to purchase 500 feet of new hose at a cost somewhere in the neighbourhood of £80.
Mr. T. Duggan, Town Steward and second officer of the Fire Brigade said: “I beg to report that there are nine 40 ft lengths of delivery hose in good order, five 40 ft lengths defective, fifteen pairs of couplings in good order and three pairs defective. I would recommend that at least 1,000 feet of 2.5 inch hose and three pairs of couplings be ordered.
“It is announced that a liner will arrive at the port to take passengers, and the water inspector will require eight lengths of hose for supplying water. This would leave the fire engine without any hose except one length and five defective hose.”
Liners due
Galway is preparing to receive visits from two more big liners. A Japanese vessel is due here next Friday, and will take home about 200 Japanese nationals from Britain and will probably stay in Galway for a few days. A quantity of coal and other supplies will also be taken on board.
It is understood that another ship of the United States Line, the Manhattan, is expected here in about a fortnight’s time, after calling at Lisbon to embark American citizens from the war zone.
Bus stop proposal
A request for a definitely defined ‘bus stop at Eglinton-st., is to be made by the Galway Corporation. At Thursday’s meeting, Mr. Faller expressed the opinion that the Corporation should ask the Co. Council to mark a ‘bus stop on Eglinton-st.
This, he said, would be for the Taylor’s Hill ‘bus service. People congregated about Messrs. Moons’ shop for the ‘bus, but generally Eglinton-st. was lined with cars, and the people often had to go down the length of the street after the ‘bus. He thought the stop should be marked opposite Colonial Buildings. The meeting agreed.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune
Galway In Days Gone By

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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Connacht Tribune
Galway In Days Gone By

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.
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Connacht Tribune
Galway In Days Gone By

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
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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.
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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.