Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1918
State-aided emigration
Galway has long been looking westward for the development that will assuredly follow the re-establishment of trans-oceanic communication; but it is doubtful if the port of embarkation that existed here within the memory of our older citizens was an unmixed blessing. Not alone was the port utilized for the carriage of mails to the western Continent, but thousands of families were State-aided to emigrate to Canada and the United States during the early ‘sixties.
Stripped of its romance, here is the story of Galway’s precipitous decline: In 1851, the borough had a population of 34,146. A decade later, it had reduced to 25,161, and thus the decline went on until in 1901 there were but 16,257 and to-day the once proud capital of Connacht holds but thirteen and a half thousand souls.
In 1841 there were 5,213 houses; in 1901, 3,072. At the beginning of the war, the Urban Council was busily engaged in demolishing old tenements, and in building up new houses in their stead. Two hundred and fifty roomy, cheap and comfortable artisans’ dwellings were erected.
New and spacious streets sprang into being. Open spaces were preserved; and the Council had in contemplation a much more elaborate scheme, which included middle-class houses, when the war stopped all loans.
The first business of the Council, upon the resumption of normal life will be to proceed apace with its house-building schemes, for since the war it has been increasingly difficult to get housing accommodation, especially for the middle classes.
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1943
Showers of money
Christmas Harvest. – If money were everything this Christmas should be the happiest in the history of Connemara. For the past week or longer money has been literally pouring into the area from workers in England. In south Connemara especially, to which the majority of the emigrants belong, the local post offices have been having a busy time dealing with showers of telegraph money orders. A considerable amount of money must also be arriving by ordinary post, as the mail-cars are now being escorted by Gardai.
Free turf
At the weekly meeting of the Mayor’s Fuel Fund Committee on Monday night, at which his Worship the Mayor, Ald. J. F. Costello, P.C., presided, Senator F. Hawkins, hon. Secretary, reported that about 650 families were now in receipt of one cwt. of turf every week. The distribution was most satisfactory and the thanks of the Committee were due to Messrs. Corbett for placing storage space at their disposal.
Cause for thanks
The fifth Christmas of the war finds our little country little worse off than at this time last year. With famine and pestilence adding to the frim toll of battle in almost every European country Ireland remains an oasis peace in a war scarred world. We have not escaped scot free, of course. The cost of living has soared to far greater heights than in Great Britain and we have been deprived of a great many pre-war luxuries, but there is still plenty of food for the average family as well as fuel and clothing.
So while we continue to grumble at pinpricks we are full aware of our fortunate position and will have infinite cause for thankfulness if our circumstances are not gravely worsened before another Christmas.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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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.
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.
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