Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Time Gone By – A browse through the archives of the Connacht Tribune.
1913
Church roof set to collapse
The Church of St. Cummin, Oughterard, which is nearly 100 years old, situated in a very poor district in Connemara, is in immediate need of substantial renovation and enlargement. This has been a matter of deep concern to priests and people for many years past, and the time has now arrived when this essential work can no longer be deferred.
An eminent architect, after careful examination of the building, discovered that the roof is liable to collapse at any moment, and should this happen during the celebration of Holy Mass, the dreadful results of such a calamity may well be conceived.
No street lights
In a letter to Ballinasloe Urban Council, ratepayers said: “We, the undersigned, being ratepayers who reside in the west of this town, regret to notice that the lighting of the street lamps in this district are (judging from the past few weeks) to be left unlighted, similar to last winter.
“We now beg to lay the fact before you and your Board, with a view to having the matter remedied. The road from the Union to the railway station has, on several occasions, been left in total darkness. Being large ratepayers, we expect equal treatment with the rest of the town.
“No doubt it may be put forward that there was a moon on the nights in question; if so, it was not above the horizon between the hours of sunset and 11 o’clock, p.m., the road being in total darkness.
“We would also call your attention to the fact that the same road has never been watered beyond the Convent; in consequence, during the past summer, we have lived in a perpetual atmosphere of dust.”
1938
Mayoral chain blessed
Ald. Joseph F. Costello, Mayor of Galway’s recently restored Corporation, knelt in the sanctuary of St. Nicholas’ Cathedral, Galway, before eight o’clock Mass on Sunday morning to receive from the hands of his lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Browne, Bishop of Galway, the new mayoral chain which his lordship had just blessed.
The other aldermen and councillors of the Corporation knelt at the altar rails as his lordship blessed the new robes of their office.
The ceremony was performed as the bells of the city churches and of the fourteenth century collegiate church in Lombard-st., formerly a Catholic church, were ringing out over the city. Incidentally, some of those bells of the collegiate church were donated by the old Corporation, dissolved almost a century ago.
Tourist road
About 140 men have been engaged on the Spiddal-Costelloe road for the past few weeks. This road is to be considerably widened and steamrolled and is part of the scheme of a proposed first class tourist road all round the Connemara coast.
From inquiries made by a “Connacht Tribune” reporter, it would appear that the apparent attitude of the Galway branch of the Gaelic League towards tourism does not at all represent the opinion of the people of Connemara on the subject.
Connemarians resent the insinuation that either their culture or their morals are of such a “hot-house” quality as to be easily adversely affected from without. They are proud of their tradition as regards both, and see no reason why the Galway branch should suspect them of having an inferiority complex in regard to either one or the other.
Connemarians also fail to see how the non-development of the tourist industry in the West is going to prevent thousands of young men from being forced to fly from the Gaeltacht to secure abroad the employment denied them at home.
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.
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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.
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
