Galway In Days Gone By

1918

Armed police at march

Twelve police, armed with rifles and ammunition, under Head-Constable Roddy, Tuam, were present during the playing of football matches at Brownsgrove, midway between Tuam and Dunmore, on Sunday. Before the matches started, police requested the stewards at the gate not to allow the public into the field, but they refused to comply with the request and about 400 people attended.

When the first game, between Dunmore and Barnaderg, was started, the police told the players to stop, but they refused, and the game was proceeded with.

The police then took the names of the players and that of the referee. A match between Caherlistrane and Gurteen was played immediately afterwards, and the names of the members of these teams were also taken, they having proceeded with the game contrary to the request of the police.

Warning to housewives

The Food Control Committee announce that proceedings will be taken against persons who have used sugar, obtained for fruit preservation, for other purposes, and do not produce the jam to the extent for which the sugar was allotted.

They also announce that they will probably take over jam in excess of household requirements from persons to whom sugar allotments were made. It will be illegal to trade in bacon and lard after July 13, unless an application for registration is made prior to that date to the office of the Committee.

Arms raid

A raid for arms by masked men was made at the residence of Mr. Michael J. Dooley, gamekeeper to Lady Gregory, Coole Park, during the week. An old fowling piece and some cartridges were taken away by the raiders. The following day, the police searched several houses in the adjoining townlands.

1943

Hospital overcrowding

Gross overcrowding still exists in the Galway Central Hospital, Mr. C.I. O’Flynn, County Manager, told the Galway County Council on Saturday. Ald. Brennan said that he had read in the Press a statement by the County Manager that he had asked the Department for permission to go ahead with the proposal to build a district hospital in Ballinasloe.

He wondered if the County Manager had any further information on the matter now – if he had received a reply from the Department.

County Manager: No, and I have written again. Regarding the hospital generally, there is gross overcrowding. We have 315 or more patients. The number of beds is 216 and the remainder of the patients are on stretchers or mattresses on the floors.

Country boycotts towns

The slippery condition of the main roads has led to a boycott of towns by the country people, declared Mr. J.J. Nestor at Saturday’s meeting of the Galway County Council, when supporting a case made by Ald. Miss Ashe for the provision of a non-slippery surface on the sides of the main roads to facilitate horse traffic.  Ald. Miss Ashe said the main roads were in an “awful way”.

Mr. G. Lee, Co. Surveyor, said that he was doing extensive sanding on the main roads and he had not heard complaints recently.

Ald. Miss Ashe said that if the roads were made safe for horses, the markets in Galway City and other towns would improve. Before Threadneedle Road in Salthill was remade, she believed the Council were told that it would be a non-skid road, but now people dared not bring their horses over it.

For  more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.