Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1914
Funeral under flood
A few days ago, a very sensational incident occurred near Mountbellew, Galway due entirely to the flooding of an area that has hitherto never been inundated. The road, which is a very short distance outside Mountbellew, became subject to floods at the Newbridge side, and in places water reached the height of 5ft.
A funeral was passing there, and when in the centre of the stream, the horse shied, precipitating the occupants of the car, which included a woman, into the water. The woman was rescued with difficulty, and when she was secured again, she was found to be unconscious, and was only restored after some attention.
Some of those crossing on side cars were compelled to take refuge on the dickie, or sit on the well while fording the flood as the water rose up to the shafts of the car. Two or three intrepid motorists who tried to get through had their engines stopped and their cars held up.
The flooding is believed locally to be due to the filling up in recent years of an old swallow hole, as this region has never been inundated to such a serious extent.
From the trenches
A detachment of the Connaught Rangers were manoeuvring near Ypres to catch a body of Germans who were sheltering behind a farm.
Within the house itself were two of the officers and it occurred to private O’Keeffe to get them out. So he dashed up to the door, exposed for 200 yards to furious rifle fire, and demanded the instant surrender of the two astonished Germans as being a sound preliminary.
As they refused, O’Keeffe shot one of them, took the other prisoner and brought him back to the regiment. His prisoner was so much moved by O’Keeffe’s amazing courage that he wrote a note in his captor’s pay book, urging any German who should have the luck to capture O’Keeffe to “give the best treatment to a brave man who saved my life.”
1939
Extensive flooding
The recent rains have caused extensive flooding in the Eyrecourt, Banagher and Meelick areas, the rivers Shannon and Suck floods having risen to an extent not seen for many years.
Floods are threatening households, out-offices and haggards and extensive areas of pastures in a large area around Shannonbridge, Banagher and other neighbouring districts. In Ballinasloe, along the banks of the river Suck, the floods cover extensive tracts of grazing lands, bogs, etc., and the river floods in the area of the town of Ballinasloe cover large areas also.
Lough Corrib levels
Although the thirty-five miles stretch of Lough Corrib from Galway to Maam, with its wide watershed of Loughs Mask and Conn, had, in the late autumn of this year, reached the lowest level ever known, its upper reaches have now, owing to the torrential rains, attained a higher level than any known in the memory of the oldest inhabitant.
In some places about fifteen miles from Galway, the lake is nearly six inches higher than has ever been known and it is believed that the mountain streams surrounding the upper reaches of the Corrib have not yet emptied their flood waters into the lake.
Shop early
Thoughtfulness for others is one of the great Christian virtues. It is, indeed, practical Christianity and its exercise affords one of the greatest of all means of developing nobility of character. Shops throughout the West are brightening for Christmas and displaying their stocks to the best advantage, and our columns today afford ample evidence of the range and variety of seasonable gifts that are being offered.
All this means more work for those cheery and patient shop assistants who do so much to aid the customers throughout the year. We hope, therefore, the customers will give a ready response by doing the Christmas shopping as early as possible, thus enabling the workers to get to their homes on the Saturday preceding Christmas Day, so that they may have a long and happy weekend with their families.
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.
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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
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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.
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.
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