Galway In Time Gone By – A browse through the archives of the Connacht Tribune.

1913

Old man attacked

A man, locally known as ‘Colonel’ Maguire, was admitted to the Galway County Hospital yesterday (Thursday) suffering from extensive flesh wounds to the head, and in a general state of collapse. Two police from Killeen Station accompanied him.

Maguire is an imbecile, and frequents the various police stations, where he is invariably treated with good-humoured courtesy by the members of the Force.

It is understood that his friendliness with the police was the cause of the aggravated assault committed on him late on Tuesday night, within half a mile of the village of Claregalway.

At 10.30pm, the injured man related that he was met by three men, none of whom he knew. At their request he handed one of them his pipe. He was then asked what his occupation was, and he told them he accompanied missions, for which he made little religious symbols, such as crucifixes etc.

He then asked for his pipe, when one of the men struck him and knocked him down. On rising, he was felled by a second stroke. He was then set upon by the three men, who beat him across the forehead and skull with ashplants.

He was then kicked and left lying on the road in a pool of blood. He got to his feet after some time, and went to the Killeen police barrack, where he was kept for the night. He was treated at the hospital, and four stitches were put in his head. He is progressing, however, satisfactorily.

1938

High prices

“I know the middle of August is the busy season and that there is some justification for charging higher prices, but I think the immediate gain to the hotels means an ultimate loss to them and the country as a whole,” Mr. Bertram Lord, of New York, whose firm acts as agent for the Irish Tourist Association, told a ‘Connacht Tribune’ representative this week.

“During my trip of the South and West, I was several times charged higher prices than those listed in the hotel guide published by the Tourist Association. We find prices here pretty high even when there is no suggestion of overcharge. In some cases they are higher than in America.

“So when prices are increased, it makes a bad impression. France got into bad odour with American tourists a few years ago because the rumour went around that Americans were charged a higher price than anyone else. As a result, the number of Americans going to France decreased considerably,” said Mr Lord.

 Ashford fears

Cong and Clonbur are very much in the news of late, for the fate of over one hundred workers engaged on the Ashford estate, is hanging in the balance. A few weeks ago, following certain signs of discontent amongst the employed, and local agitation for the division of Ashford, the Hon. E.A. Guinness intimated his intention of selling the estate.

His decision came as a great shock to the people of Cong and Galway, to whose minds Mr. Guinness and Cong were inseparable.

A petition was drawn up asking him to reconsider his decision, and has already been signed by 300 people.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.