Galway In Days Gone By

1914

Galwaymen for the Front

Out of the 2,000 constables of the R.I.C. who have volunteered for active service, the War Office have decided to accept only 200 picked men. Nearly all of these men will serve with the Irish Guards. It is interesting to note that two men have been selected from Galway City, whose names are Constable James Bracken, of Dominick Street, and Const. Kelleher, Eglinton Street.

The former has gone on leave, and, with his comrade, will proceed to London on the 27th Dec. Both these men are well-known in the city, and their patriotic action as a matter for pride, not alone to the force of which they have been conspicuously able officers, but to their many civilian friends.

During the week, Mr. Charles G. Blake, T.C., Tuam, left for Englan, to join the Sportsmen’s Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers, in which he has enlisted as a private. Mr. M.F. Burke, cashier, Bank of Ireland, has also joined as a private in the new Army and left for Mullingar on the same day.

Flag Day

The project set on foot by Lady Clonbrock to supply a motor ambulance for the Connaught Rangers at the Front, took a practical garb during the week. Miss Pearse organised a Flag Day in the city on Tuesday.

Upwards of sixty lady collectors, preceded by the Galway Industrial School Bank, paraded the principal streets and the Square.

1939

Listening to War news

Mr. W.P. Cahill, D.J., imposed a fine of 20s., but did not endorse the licence, in a summons for a breach of the licensing regulations against Mr. McCullagh, a publican in Ahascragh.

Sergeant Howard gave evidence of visiting the premises on November 11 at 11pm, and finding a number of men on the premises.

Pleading guilty to the charge, Mr. P.C. Sweeney, solr., said the men were there listening to the war news on the wireless. The people who were there were from the country around were all anxious to hear how the war was going and they were all gathered around the wireless set when the sergeant called in.

Some of the people in the district had relatives in France, and all were enthusiastic followers of the war news.

Some of them might have had a drink before this, but Mr. McCullagh said they were all admitted before closing time.

“War or no war, Mr. McCullagh says that he will in future take such precautions that this will not recur,” said Mr Sweeney.

The Justice imposed the fine of 20s., and imposed a fine of 2s. 6d. on all the men found on the premises for whom there was no appearance.

Poteen seizure

Sergeant Sullivan and Gardaí Tierney, Walsh and McDonagh, from Inverin station, made a lightning raid on an island on Gleanicmurrin lake last week and found an illicit still just about to go into action.

The still had been placed on a newly-lighted fire and everything was ready for a little ‘run’. The Gardaí captured seven hundred gallons of wash, in addition to the complete distilling apparatus.

Oughterard Gardaí are also ensuring that the mountain dew will be a scarce commodity this Christmas, and several seizures were made in the area during the week.

Christmas shopping

There was little or no sign of the coming Christmas festival in Galway until Wednesday, when thousands of country people flocked into the city to attend the first of the Christmas markets and also to do their advance shopping.

The market was the biggest seen in Galway for a number of years. From early morning, buses, motor cars and horses and carts arrived in the city.

Although slow to start, business was brisk, and thousands of geese and turkeys were bought up. Turkeys were sold in the earlier part of the day for 1s. 2d. per lb., an increase of 2d. on the price obtained this time last year. There were many more geese than turkeys on offer, and these were sold for 5s., 7s. and 8s., according to size.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.