Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By

1915
Lusitania victim
The grim realities of German “frightfulness” were brought home to the residents of Galway on Wednesday, when one of the coast patrol boats attached to the base here brought in the body of a Lusitania victim found floating off the coast of Kerry, 120 miles from the scene of disaster that occurred on Friday week.
H.M.S. patrol boat Setter (skipper Donaldson) had been on duty off the Blasquets the previous afternoon, when the body of a woman, floating face downwards, was sighted. The body was taken on board, and the intelligence communicated with the flagship, which at once instructed the Setter to proceed to Galway.
The police were notified and the Coroner. By noon, a jury had been got together. The Harbour flag and the flag over the Admiralty were floated at half mast.
The jurors who viewed the body were horrified at the appalling spectacle of a woman foully murdered in the pursuit of the German policy. The body was laid reverently in the Morgue, covered with a Union Jack. It was that of a superior class of woman, apparently of middle age, and was clad in a cardigan jacket, while a wedding ring and a plain gold broach was worn.
1940
By-election apathy
With less than a week to go before the West Galway by-election there still remains an ominous lull on the “western front”. One should not be at all surprised if on this occasion, Connemarians sent something home to the Government through the medium of the ballot box. It would certainly be an eye-opener for them and might do them good.
The farmers have dashed the hope entertained last week by Fianna Fáil that an election contest would not be forced in West Galway.
On Saturday afternoon the Galway County Executive of Clann na Talmhan (Sons of the Soil) decided to nominate Mr. Michael Donnellan, Dunmore, for the vacant seat created by the death last year of Dr. Sean Tubridy, M.O., Oranmore.
Burglary spate
On the morning of May 13, at about 2.30a.m., a man entered the residence of Mr. Michael W. Cahill, Co.C. merchant, Ballygaddy-road, Tuam, and stole a small bag which contained the sum of about £4.
It is stated the man entered Mr. Cahill’s residence by an open window on the first floor. When Mr. Cahill heard the noise in his room, he switched on the light, and the intruder disappeared through the window, talking with him Mrs. Cahill’s handbag.
The robbery was reported later that morning to the guards, who immediately began extensive inquiries, but so far have been unable to get the criminal.
Another robbery was reported to the Tuam guards on Sunday evening, may 20. It appears that on that evening, between 2 and 8 o’clock, p.m., the house of Mr. Thomas Joyce, Vicar-street, Tuam, was broken into and a sum of £2 stolen.
Entrance was effected by scaling a high wall at the back of the house and the back door was forced open. A small cash box in one of the room was also broken open. The guards are making inquiries and it is expected that charges will be made in this case shortly.
Offer to US liners
Galway Harbour Commissioners have offered to place all the facilities of their port at the disposal of the American government in connection with the departure of American citizens to their home country. The U.S. liner, President Roosevelt, is expected to call at Galway on Thursday.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune
Galway In Days Gone By

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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Connacht Tribune
Galway In Days Gone By

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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Connacht Tribune
Galway In Days Gone By

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.
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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.