Galway In Days Gone By

1915

Conscription scare

On Sunday night, a special train returned to Galway, bringing back over 30 young men who had endeavoured to emigrate. From statements made, it appeared that they had an exceedingly hostile reception in Liverpool.

Some of them complained that they had been rushed into emigrating by their parents, and that as far as they were concerned, they had no desire to run away at the present time, while others said candidly that they were compelled to go abroad because they could not make a living at home.

They added that the recruiting sergeants were busy among the crowd at Liverpool, and that out of 600 only about two joined the colours. Most of them went home on Sunday night.

“We have received a circular,” said one emigration agent, “to stop the booking of men of military age, but they might have spared themselves the trouble for bookings have never been fewer than this year.”

“Do you believe these people are fleeing from the country for fear of conscription?” he was asked.

“There is no doubt that there has been a good deal of loose and idle talk on the conscription question. I know there are two or three instances of where parents have actually driven their sons out of the country for fear of conscription; but if there is any fear of compulsory military service, you may take it from me that it is not the young men of this country who are showing it, but literally the old women and their parents.

“Further, emigration is sadly encouraged by those who would wish to see the scare succeed and the Irish Party and people discredited.”

1940

Ready to die

“Any attempt to bring pressure to bear on us by any of the belligerents – by Britain – can only lead to bloodshed.”

This declaration was made by the Taoiseach, Mr. de Valera, in the Dáil. He was referring to the Government’s determination regarding the surrender or leasing to Britain for the duration of the war of ports in Ireland under the control of the Irish Government.

“I want to say to our people,” he added, “that we may be – I hope not – facing a grave crisis. If we are to face it, then we shall do it anyhow knowing that our cause is right and just, and that, if we have to die for it, we shall be dying for that good cause.”

Salthill improvements

At a Corporation meeting, a committee asked what works the Borough Surveyor (Mr. C.J. O’Callaghan) proposed to carry out. He pointed out the works which, in his opinion, were most acceptable to the Department.

At Salthill, these consisted mainly of excavation, levelling and filling and the making of a carpark. The committee expressed the wish that some of the grant should be devoted to the provision of seats and the planting of trees on the western side of the Park, between the Pavilion and Salthill Road, and otherwise agreed with the work proposed to be carried out.

No U.S. liner

A statement from Washington to the effect that Germany has refused a safe conduct for an American ship to proceed to Ireland to bring back United States citizens from Britain may mean that the U.S. Lines vessel, Manhattan, which was due to visit Galway port shortly to take home 1,200 U.S. citizens will not call.

The American report states that the German refusal to grant a safe conduct was issued despite a prompt and favourable reply from the Italian government to the U.S. request.

The German government is said to have declared that the areas around Great Britain and Ireland were “areas of military operations.”

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.