Galway In Days Gone By

1915

Shots of jealousy

The house of Mrs. Margaret Fox, of Caherlea, Claregalway, was attacked on Sunday night last by a shooting party, and several shots fired into it.

Young Owen Fox was injured by some pellets, a number of the windows in the house were broken, and the kitchen lamp smashed. The affair occurred at around 10 o’clock, where the peaceful occupants of the comfortable farmer’s house were saying the Rosary in the parlour.

Tim Joyce, the fiancée of Mrs. Fox’s 19-year-old daughter, was in the house at the time, and it was because some parties were opposed to the marriage that the attack was made.

Joyce was, as the saying goes, “to marry into the place”, and exception was taken to this. A young man named Andrew Joyce, who lives near Clarenbridge, was arrested on Monday, and charged that he did, with others, attack the dwellinghouse.

Mrs. Fox deposed that there were eight or nine shots fired. Big stones were also thrown, and came in through the parlour window. They also fired at the three top windows.

“I heard the worst of expressions used. Andy Forde said, ‘I will blow your daylights out, Joyce, you b–‘, that was repeated five or six times. I know Forde for years. He is a second cousin of my late husband. There were four more men at the shooting affair. I could see them as it was a bright moonlight night.”

An agreement had been drawn up between witness and Mr. Joyce, by which Joyce, on marrying her daughter, was to get the farm. Witness and her family were to live in the place, and in addition to that, Mr. Joyce was to give the other five children £50 each.

Under cross-examination, witness said her brother-in-law Pat Fox, who lives in Athenry, and accused were great friends. Fox tried to prevent the proposed marriage, and thought he would get the place and turn out witness and her family.

Detective-Inspector Heard, prosecuting, applied for, and was granted a remand for a week, bail being refused.

1940

Piracy and price-fixing

At a meeting of Galway Corporation, Mr. Redington requested an expression of opinion on the piracy of steam trawlers in the fishing grounds of Galway Bay. He had brought up the matter about four years ago and he was told that no such thing existed, but now there was definite proof of it.

In other countries, there was a law to protect native fishermen, and the Government should be asked to do something for Irishmen engaged in the business.

While these men were being subjected to this piracy, the people were unable to get enough fish for dinner without sending to Dublin for it.

Mr. Carrick agreed, and said it was a shocking state of affairs that Galway fishermen went out night after night and could not fish in their own waters.

Mr Healy: I am not against Mr. Carrick or Mr. Redington, but I think we should start nearer home and stop the profiteering that is going on in the town. The fish-sellers in Quay-st and High-st spend till nine and ten and eleven o’clock at night holding a conference to fix the price of fish, and they are fleecing the people and the fishermen as well.

They will fish from Saturday or Sunday till Wednesday, and on Wednesday they will charge you 6s. and 7s. They will even charge 3s. or 4s. for a ‘cut’ off a 1s. 6d. fish. These people have Galway fleeced for a bit of fish.

There is no use in talking about stopping steam trawlers in the bay. You cannot stop them. They were there before we were born, but it is down in the market that the blackguardism is done.

Mr. Redington’s suggestion was adopted.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.