Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1915
Cow decorated
Loughrea was the scene of great animation on Wednesday week, when a very effective demonstration on behalf of rent reduction was made by the Town Tenants’ Association.
Recently, the Association made a general demand for a reduction of 25 per cent. This demand was conceded in almost every case.
There were, however, a few landlords who stoutly resisted and brought the tenants into court. Mr. Tom Doherty, who is landlord of a house in the Main-street occupied by Mr. James Raftery, was one of those who refused to grant this concession.
He proceeded against the tenant for full demand of a half-year’s rent up to last gale day, and got a decree before the Recorded at the recent Quarter Sessions for the rent due and costs.
The decree was put in the hands of the sheriff’s bailiff and one of Mr. Raftery’s cows was seized and impounded.
A meeting of protest was held by the Tenants’ Association, at which the action of Mr. Doherty was strongly condemned, and it was decided to fight the matter out to a finish. Mr. Raftery placed himself in the hands of the Association, and it was agreed to allow the cow to be sold under strong town tenants’ protests.
But owing to the unmistakeable attitude taken up by the latter, other counsels prevailed with Mr. Doherty, and he conceded the full demand of the tenant, namely 25 per cent reduction, with costs remitted.
On a settlement being arrived at, the Tenants’ Committee, and a large body of members proceeded to the pound, took out Mr. Raftery’s cow, and had her decorated with suitable mottos – 25 per cent reduction in the rents – in large characters on her forehead.
The cow was then driven through the town, followed by a large crowd.
1940
Girls drinking at dances
The Very Rev. P. Canon Nestor, P.P., V.F., speaking at twelve o’clock mass in St. Nicholas’ Cathedral, said that it had come to the notice of the clergy that young girls attending dances at Salthill often took drink on the occasion of these dances. Fathers and mothers should have some control over their children and should see that such conduct not continue.
Not only were these girls who took drink doing themselves harm spiritually, but they were destroying their prospects of marriage. No man would marry a girl who, he knew, took drink; he would leave her there.
The Very Rev. Canon, speaking on drunkenness in general, said that drunkenness led to sins against almost every one of the commandments.
It led to neglect of God, neglect of self and neglect of family. He also issued a warning against “tippling” and asked whose who had a craving for drink to ask God to help them to overcome the temptation.
Car burned out
A brand new Ford Ten motor car, which was not even “run in”, mysteriously caught fire while its owner, Mr. Comyn, a commercial traveller employed by the Aga Cooker Co., was attending the annual charity ball in aid of the poor of Galway in the Dancing Pavilion, Salthill.
Seeing the car, which was parked near the supper-room enclosure, on fire, a passer-by raised the alarm shortly after 3 a.m., and the registration number was immediately announced over the microphone, as were also the registration numbers of some other cars which were parked near the blazing vehicle.
Mr. Thos. O’Toole, with the aid of some of the dancers, fought the flames with the fire extinguishers with which the Pavilion is equipped, but the blaze got too strong a hold, and the car was burned out.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
