Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1919
Stolen railway
Mr. A. H. Moeran presided at the meeting of the Portumna Town Improvement Committee on Friday, December 20.
The Chairman mentioned the question of taking steps about the derelict railway, and stated he was going to Dublin and would find out particulars from the Secretary of the Irish Transport Commission.
He also stated there would be an expert in Birr about the electric lighting of the town and that he would endeavour to bring him to Portumna to get all the information possible.
After being twelve years in abeyance, the question of opening the Birr and Portumna derelict railway has been brought forward, as will be seen from a report of the meeting of the Portumna Town Improvement Committee held a short time ago.
South Park housing
Mr. M. T. Donnellan, J.P. presided at the meeting of Galway Urban Council on Thursday. Also present: Messrs. J.S. Young, J.P.; M.J. Crowley, S.P. Corbett, W.K. Silke; M. Halloran; M. Malone; T.C. McDonough, J.P.; and Dr. Walsh.
The Local Government Board wrote stating that the design of the houses to be erected at Fairhill was unsuitable, and the laying out of the sites was unsatisfactory.
Mr. Silke suggested that the south side of the South Park should be utilized for houses. He asked that it be scheduled with the sites already selected.
The Secretary stated he did not think that the Park could be utilized as it was given to the Council by the owners of Grattan estate as a sports’ ground, etc.
Mr. Binns (borough engineer) stated he was preparing a new housing scheme.
The Local Government Board wrote that they were prepared to consider applications for permission to put into operation schemes of utility such as housing, etc.
1944
Hospital delay
Because of the impossibility of securing the materials required for building – especially steel – the erection of the new regional hospital in Galway will not be undertaken before the end of the war, states Mr. C.I. O’Flynn, Co. Manager.
While the Department were definite on the point that the construction of the hospital could not be undertaken, they were prepared to permit the building of an extension to the Nurses’ Home.
In the meantime, however, something had to be done to relieve overcrowding in the wards of the existing hospital, and Mr. O’Flynn said that he had hopes of being able to do that without causing inconvenience to the nursing staff.
Scavengers’ Strike
Thirty-three members of the Galway Corporation’s outdoor staff went on strike on Saturday morning.
It is stated that the strike was called as a protest against an order of the Co. Manager to change their working hours.
Heretofore the men worked from 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., whereas under the terms of the Manager’s order they would work from 8.30 a.m. until 6 p.m.
The men who struck included scavengers, barrow-men, and street cleaners. Since Saturday morning the streets of the city have not been cleaned.
Ration reductions
The butter ration will be reduced from one-half of a pound to six ounces per week as from next Saturday, it was officially announced last Friday night.
This step has been found necessary as the estimated output of butter for the remainder of the season, together with the reserve stocks, are not sufficient to maintain the existing ration of 8 ozs.
A reduction of 25 per cent also will be made in the allowances for catering establishments, institutions and other non-domestic consumers.
The reduction does not apply to the purchase of factory butter by manufacturing concerns.
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.
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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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