Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1915
Panic-mongering
The complaint made by Mr. Ellis, J.P., at the meeting of Tuam Rural District Council, Galway, that the police had notified a man to “clear out, destroy his property, and bury his stock,” reveals, if there be truth in it, a scandal in panic-mongering that should be stopped without delay.
Mr. Ellis did not give names or particulars, but a clear obligation rests upon him as a magistrate not to allow a grave matter of this kind to rest.
We are inclined to think, however, that his informant rather exaggerated the notice conveyed to him by the police, as our own experience is that the precautionary notices conveyed through the police were either wholly misinterpreted in many instances, by those who received them, or else badly delivered.
Untrue war reports
An unusual case, the first of its kind in the West of Ireland, was heard at the City Petty Sessions, when a local postman named John Burke was charged by the Crown under the Defence of the Realm (Consolidation) Act, with having, on the 22nd January last, unlawfully spread false reports in relation to His Majesty’s ships of war, likely to cause alarm to certain of His Majesty’s subjects.
The charge was on that morning, the defendant did spread a false report – that some of His Majesty’s shops of war had been sunk by the German fleet in the North Sea, to the number of two, three and even seven ships. That report went around the town like wildfire, and created a great deal of alarm to some of the inhabitants, especially around the place where it was originally circulated – about the Claddagh and Dominick Street – from which places a lot of men are serving on His Majesty’s ships. That was not the first time such a thing had occurred, and the prosecution would show that on that day, Burke, mentioned in every house he visited on his rounds that some British ships had been sunk.
People would be inclined to give credence to the story when it was circulated by a postman, who might be supposed to speak with authority.
The magistrates having consulted, the Chairman said it was well for people to know the penalties they were liable to for a contravention of the Act – £100 fine or six months’ imprisonment, or both.
In times like the present, there was no use in every silly goose going about the place and making matters worse. The defendant was a silly goose in doing what he did, though he (Chairman) did not suppose he had any evil intention in doing so.
It was right to put a stop to such a thing, even though there was no evil intention. They would fine defendant £1 and costs.
1940
Summer Time
It is credibly reported that Great Britain proposes to introduce Summer Time on the night of Saturday-Sunday, February 24-25. This is our excuse for introducing such a subject at a time when we have all the vagaries of winter outside our doors and all the exactions of the tax gatherer coming in stern envelopes with the morning tea.
Following precedent, Summer Time should burst upon us like a thief in the night on the third week in April. Obviously, the reason for introducing the Willet scheme to save daylight in Great Britain while the snow yet lies on the ground is to give more daylight because of an intense blackout, which has so far cost many more casualties on roads and streets than the war and out of which the gay French get many a laugh as they tread their well-illuminated boulevards.
But the problem is of some concern to Éire, for if this innovation which would be regarded as an absurdity except as a war-time measure is enforced in Great Britain, it may be considered expedient to walk in step here if time-tables and inter-communications are not to be hopelessly out of gear during the eight weeks that must elapse before in its third week.
Fire outbreak
A fire which broke out in the lock-up drapery business of Mr. John Smyth, Dunlo-st., Ballinasloe, late on Saturday night and burned for some hours before it was got under control, gutted most of the premises and shop, and destroyed a large quantity of drapery goods stored on the premises.
Three fire brigades, the town council brigade, the mental hospital brigade, and the military fire brigade from Athlone, fought the flames for hours. At about 2am, when the military arrived from Athlone, the fire had got a good grip on the premises, and guards and civilians worked strenuously to keep the flames from spreading to adjoining premises.
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.
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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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