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

1913

Pickpocket arrested

Const. F. McCarthy is to be congratulated for his clever capture of a pickpocket on Saturday. It is alleged that a woman named Mrs. Leech missed a half-sovereign, and reported the fact to the constable.

Shortly afterwards, another woman made a similar report, the amount in the second case being 8s. The constable quickly investigated the matter, and in a short time secured the arrest of apparently an innocent woman, who threatened him with facial disfigurement. After being searched, the sums mentioned were discovered on her person.

Threatened eviction

On Monday last, the Congested District Board’s Engineer, accompanied by Head-Constable Scully, Mountbellew, and Sergt. Coyne, and a posse of ten police, with the sheriff’s bailiff, from Ballinasloe and his assistant, visited the house of a woman in Rushestown, for the purpose of taking over possession on foot of a decree for rent and arrears due.

It appears that no rent had been paid on foot of this dwellinghouse for a number of years, and that the case had several times been before the Judge at Quarter Sessions. The house is an old tumbledown one, on the estate purchased by the C.D.B.

Amidst much wailings and lamentations, the eviction was actually being proceeded with, when the amount of the decree, something over £20, was paid up.

1938

Wanted man arrested

Smart work on the part of Galway Gardaí resulted in the arrest in Galway on Thursday of John Edwards, Middleton Junction, Middleton, who was “wanted” by the Rochdale police on a charge of fraudulently converting the sum of £181 8s.

The Galway Gardaí immediately got into touch with the Lancashire police, who sent Sergeant Orgill over to take Edwards back to England. Sergeant Orgill left Galway with his prisoner on Saturday morning.

Strenuous training

The eyes of all followers of Gaelic games will be on Galway and Kerry next Sunday, when the senior footballers of these two counties will meet in the All-Ireland final at Croke Park, Dublin.

Despite the fact that the attendance at the All-Ireland hurling final was down this year as compared with the past few years, it is virtually certain that the attendance on Sunday will create a new record for the National Stadium.

G.A.A. followers in the West are confident of Galway’s ability to take the title from the Kingdom men this year, and there are some grounds for that optimism.

Galway has a splendid defence, and there is no reason to doubt their ability at centre field. The only vexing question is the ability of the Galway forwards to penetrate these powerful Kerry back lines.

Galway forwards were not as effective as they should have been against Monaghan in the semi-final. Of course, the western champions had control of the game from the start, but their followers had hoped to see a display that would inspire more confidence in the attackers.

It will be remembered that when Galway met Kerry in the League at Galway some months ago, a displeasing feature of the game was the erratic shooting of the Galway forwards. The Kerry forwards were well held for most of the hour, and the Kingdom secured victory by reason of Galway’s forward weakness.

It is hoped that this defect will not characterise the Galway team on Sunday. With the Galway forwards playing good football and shooting accurately, it would be difficult to understand how Bill Kimmerk and his men could hold the western champions.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.