Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1915
New conditions of living
In the popular mind, this is generally regarded as one of the severest winters witnessed by the present generation. It is pretty difficult to appraise how far the severe weather, the prevailing conditions in regard to foodstuffs, and the gloom of war, or all three combined, have been responsible for this outlook.
The weather, no doubt, has been exceptionally severe, and, so far as the poor are concerned, its severity has been accentuated by the increased prices demanded for coal and foodstuffs.
In low lying districts, the floods have been abnormal, and many acres have been inundated for considerable periods.
In Galway City, there has been a regular epidemic of influenza, and scarcely has anyone escaped a cold of some sort.
Apart altogether from casualties at the war, the number of deaths during the last quarter, as the obituary columns of the newspapers testify, has been somewhat higher than usual even at this period.
Nevertheless, it is gratifying to note that there has been no serious epidemic. Galway, so long subject to an annual recrudescence of disease, has been singularly free for the last couple of years, a fast which may be attributed to improved housing conditions, and to the adequate provisions made for supplying warm and nourishing food to the children during the cold and cheerless period of the year.
1940
Maternity unit re-opens
At the monthly meeting of the Galway Hospitals and Dispensaries’ Committee, Dr. D.V. Morris wrote informing the secretary that the maternity department at the Galway Central Hospital which had to be closed for some time owing to an outbreak of puerperal sepsis had been thoroughly disinfected and reopened.
Mr. Quinn: There was hardly any question that got such publicity as the closing of the maternity department and I think we should deal with this matter and not let it off so lightly.
Chairman: It is certainly a matter that we should go into very thoroughly; it got tremendous publicity in Dublin.
Mr. Quinn: And in the local papers, too.
Secretary: It may have a good effect in hurrying up the new hospital. I believe that the doctors were unable to trace any carriers. When the medical staff were unable to to find the cause it would be very hard for the Committee to do so. So many bad cases come in here, it is very hard to know how it would spread.
The sad part of it is it cost four lives.
Mr. Beegan: And all the suffering it had brought on families as a result.
The secretary said that there were still 252 patients in the general hospital, where there were only 200 beds. There were also 38 patients in the fever hospital.
House sale
‘Palace View’, Bishop-street, Tuam, the private residence of late Mrs. Guy, Imperial Hotel, Tuam, was sold by public sale on Monday and purchased by Dr. Waldron, Bishop-street for the sum of £410.
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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