Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1918
Illegal hurling
At Loughrea Magistrates’, Joseph Connor, Joseph Ford and Tadh Scorry were charged with illegally playing hurley on July 31. Mr. Hogan, solr., who defended, cited Mr. Shortt’s declaration that the police had no right to interfere with games. Mr. Gillooley denied the Chief Secretary’s interpretation of the Order as correct. Hurling, he maintained, could not be played without a permit.
Mr. Hill, R.M., pointed out that Mr Gilooley had put in no evidence that the assembly was political. Mr. Gillooley replied that there were shouts of “Up De Valera”.
Mr. Hogan said the action of the police was audacious in bringing the case – they were more royalist than the King. If the Court interfered with the liberty of these men, the case would be taken to the Supreme Courts.
For the defence, T. Burke and M. Daley swore that Connor had been batoned on the head several times after arrest. Head-Constable Sweeney declared that a stone had been thrown. He did not see it, but heard it fall.
The magistrates, after a long consultation, adjourned their decision to Loughrea Petty Sessions.
Police charge
Sinn Féin demonstrations were held on Lady Day in many parts of the county, and the statement issued by the Executive was read in most cases. The Rev. Father O’Meehan, C.C., Kinvara, President South Galway Sinn Féin Executive, informs the Press that 35 Sinn Féin clubs held meetings in South Galway unmolested.
In Connemara meetings were held at Clifden, Claddaclithu, Ballinakill, Ballinafad, Cashel and Roundstone.
A Cumann na mBan meeting, at which Miss Cashel, B.A., was to speak, was not long in progress when a large contingent of police arrived and charged the crowd. Although some people, it is said, received nasty injuries, the assemblage kept cool.
At a quarter to 10 o’clock on Thursday night, Mr. P. Carroll, Sec. Ballinasloe Sinn Féin, was arrested by Head-Constable Crehan and Constable French. We understand the charge against him is for having used seditious language in the fair green, after a camogie match had been played. Mr. Carroll was taken to Galway, where he was handed over to the military authorities.
Mr. Timothy P. Killeen, D.C., a member of the Ballinasloe District Council and Clonfert Sinn Féin Club, was arrested by Eyrecourt police, and taken to Portumna to be dealt with by the military authorities.
1943
Overcharging tourists
The good reputation of the Galway and Salthill hotels and boarding-houses – second to none in the country for cleanliness, comfort and moderate charges – has been endangered during the present holiday season by the unscrupulous conduct of a few persons who have grossly overcharged visitors for very indifferent accommodation.
A well-known hotel proprietor, commenting upon the complaints of overcharging for accommodation, drinks and car hire, said: “If they keep up this sort of thing in Salthill, they will completely ruin the tourist trade.”
Phone service complaints
Complaints that the telephone service in Galway was very unsatisfactory were made at a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. The Chairman (Mr. J.D. Whelan) said that several people had complained to him about the long delays in getting through.
He himself had an experience on the first Monday in August, which was a Bank Holiday. He had to wait almost half-an-hour to get through from Galway to Salthill.
Mr. MI O’Flaherty, P.C., said that he recently tried to make a very urgent call from one of the kiosks and when he did not get a reply, he rang up the exchange from a private number.
When he complained that he had been ringing from the kiosk and did not get a reply, the operator said that the telephone there must not be working.
He pointed out that he had been delayed and that a notice should have been put up on the kiosk to the effect that it was not working. To this the operator replied: “That is not my fault.”
Mr. J. Allen said that from what he had heard, the operators were not to blame. The whole trouble was due to the fact that the service was out of date and was not able to cope with the demand on it. Until the whole system was rearranged nothing could be done to improve matters.
Chairman: It is ridiculous paying a high rental if we are not going to get better service than that.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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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