Galway In Days Gone By

1915

Galway as naval base

Yesterday (Thursday) morning the police at Galway were notified “to hold themselves in readiness” to warn all non-combatants to move inland in the event of an enemy raid on the coast-line.

Our City Reporter states that he is informed on reliable authority that sixteen converted armoured steam trawlers are being sent to Galway as a base from which to guard the coast-line. Possibly Galway will be constituted one of the Irish naval bases.

It is understood that the Admiralty has decided to establish at Galway, for the present at any rate, a base for coastal patrol boats and mine-sweepers. Synchronising as it does with the warning to the population of coast towns, to be prepared to move inland under the directions of the authorities in the case of an enemy raid, the announcement would seem to possess some significance.

During the past month, various Admiralty craft have occasionally been seen in the Bay. It is likely that the City will be used as a supply base.

Already, Lieutenant Holmes, R.N.R., has arrived in Galway, and it is understood that the preliminary arrangements are in his hands.

The possibilities of an invasion are practically negligible. The only military purpose a raid on the West coast of Ireland could serve would be to “draw off” important fighting units of the British Grand Fleet; but before the raid could take place, some German battle cruisers would first have to get clear of the Fleet and minefields, and sail round the north coast of Scotland.

There remains, of course, the possibility of a raid by Taube or Zeppelin. Such a raid on Ireland would be the biggest of the many big blunders that Germany has yet made and it is most unlikely that a madcap enterprise of the kind will ever be undertaken against this country.

1940

Curse of modern life

“The curse of modern life is a long engagement before marriage. Sometimes the girl is brought to ruin and destruction, and frequently she is jilted for some younger and more attractive person.”

This statement was made by Very Rev. Canon Davis, P.P., St. Joseph’s (Rahoon), Galway, during the course of a sermon delivered at Mass on Sunday.

Speaking on the importance of marriage, Very Rev. Canon Davis said: “In other countries, Italy, France and German, so important is the regard for population that marriage has been subsidised by the State and a remedy must also be found in this country. The wealth of any country is its population, and the empty cradle is the curse of our State at the present time.”

The Home Front

Editorial

The advice of Mr. Patrick Hogan, the late Minister for Agriculture, never applied to this country with such force as it does to-day. Mr. Hogan was never tired of giving the farmers of Ireland, of whose troubles and difficulties he had practical experience, the advice to have “one more cow, one more sow and one more acre under the plough”.

By this means the wealth of the country could be increased in the most immediate and effective way, the standard of life of the farming community raised, and our self-dependence rendered almost impregnable.

What is the economic position of Eire to-day? Have we sufficient feeding stuffs to carry us through the period of a prolonged war? Can we obtain seeds to grow more crops in the season that lies ahead?

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.