Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1915
Margarine strike
At the Loughrea Board of Guardians, the following letter was received:
“Gentlemen – We, the inmates of the Workhouse, most humbly ask you to give us a bit of butter or an egg instead of the margarine. We have never used a bit of it, and are eating our bread dry.
“Poor Miss Raftery used to put her but of butter in the stirabout the matron gives her, and now she has to eat it dry, and she is weak on her feat.
“Hoping your honours will grant us a bit of butter. We remain, your humble servants.”
Chairman: There is a general strike against margarine.
Mr. O’Loughlin: We have nothing to do with it. We will refer it to the medical officer. It was on his recommendation we adopted it.
Chairman: It was a cruel thing to do. Would there be any use in giving notice to have the order rescinded
Mr. O’Loughlin: I would not like to rescind an order made only a few weeks ago.
Mr. O’Dea, we had no right to let them know they were to get the margarine. He [the doctor] would be a good judge who could tell whether it was butter or margarine.
1940
Army desertion
When three young men from Carraroe district appeared at Spiddal Court before District Justice Mac Giollarnath, charged with desertion from the army, one of them stated that he had go two day’s leave in order to get married and merely overstayed the time allowed. He was quite willing to go back now.
The Justice said that he could make no order in the case of another of the men, because the Army officer who gave evidence failed to identify him as the truant soldier and the Garda who arrested him could not state that he was a deserter.
The man himself remained silent throughout the proceedings and when all was over, he told the Justice that he was willing to return to the Army.
All three “re-volunteered” in Court and returned to barracks.
School burns down
Aillebrack national School, Ballyconneely, was burned to the ground in the ewaly hours of Tuesday morning. The Clifden Gardaí were called to the scene shortly after the outbreak had been discovered at 3a.m., but the flames had buy then firmly gripped the building and the police were unable to cope with the fire. The origin of the fire is as yet unknown, but the guards are pursuing inquiries.
All-star Game
Leinster 11 Connacht 11
A shrill whistle – free to Leinster. A hush fell upon the crowd as Carry, the captain, carefully placed the ball. Then, with a mighty kick, he sent the ball sailing between the posts for those all-important three points which levelled the scores and saved his side from suffering their first defeat at the hands of the Connachtmen.
This was the dramatic and – for the small band of western supporters who made the long trek to the marble City – most disappointing ending to the Interprovincial game at St. James’s Park, Kilkenny, on Saturday, which resulted in a draw of two goals (one penalty) and a try, to three goals (two penalties).
The points were evenly divided by the honours were not, for Connacht – who played with only fourteen men for three-quarters of the game – had the better of the fast and furious exchanges all through.
If ever the Westerners deserved victory, it was on this occasion, but Lady Luck thought otherwise and a penalty goal secured by Leinster in the last few minutes, from a free which should never have been awarded, cheated them of a chance of making rugby history by defeating their opponents for the first time.
Connacht: Full-back: C. Mahoney (Corinthians); Three-quarters: S. Gill (UCG), T. Lenihan (do.), C. Finan (Galwegians), W. Callinan (Loughrea); Half-backs: G. Mahoney (Corinthians and Dolphin) and F. Flattery (Corinthians); Forwards: R. Grealish (Galwegians), A.J. Roche (do.), B. Donohue (Loughrea), J. Joyce (Galwegians), D. Ryan (Loughrea). J. Owens (Corinthians), D.B. O’Malley (UCG) and P.J. Horan (do.).
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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