Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Time Gone By – A browse through the archives of the Connacht Tribune.
1913
Insanitary conditions
At the weekly meeting of the Urban Council, the Local Government Board’s sanitary inspector reported that he had visited Nos. 1 and 2 dispensary districts. In the former, the housing for the working classes was good, but some of the tenements were not fit for human habitation. In the No. 2 district, the sewerage of Nuns’ Island emptied into the canal.
Mr. Binns: The sewerage discharges into the river.
Mr. Waters (sub-sanitary officer) said there was only one closet in Flood-street for five or six houses.
Mr. T.C. McDonogh: That is absurd.
Chairman: We should allow these people into the new houses.
Mr. Cunningham: That is the east ward and don’t say anything about it (laughter).
Mr. Young: The landlords should be approached on the matter and see that a second closet is erected.
Dock labourer insulted
At the City Petty Sessions, Mr. Wm. O’Halloran, Secretary of the Galway Labourers Society, prosecuted Martin Ryan, a bill poster, for abusive language on the 7th November.
Mr. Daly, who appeared to prosecute, said the defendant was creating disturbances among the members of the Union, and was continually abusing his client. However, they did not want the poor old man to be punished, and if he gave an undertaking to cease abusing his client, he would withdraw the case.
The first witness called was a member of the Union of Dock Labourers named Thomas Diviney, who said that on Shop-street, Ryan used some bad language towards O’Halloran. The language used would be likely to incite the labourers.
The Chairman asked the witness what words Ryan made use of on the occasion, and witness was understood to say that some remarks were passed about Mr. O’Halloran’s overall. Though the question was repeated, the witness gave no clearer version of what was said
Witness added that Ryan said he would turn O’Halloran out of the two and he would have the bells ringing (laughter).
As Diviney left the witness table, he said: “Ryan is always attacking the Union. He will go into the dock yet, if he does not mind himself.”
Mr O’Halloran said Ryan was in the habit of using very bad language towards him. His conduct on the 7th November was calculated to provoke a breach of the peace. He said he did not wish to press the case and asked the Bench to deal leniently with him.
Chairman: We will bind him to be of good behaviour for twelve months, himself in the sum of £5 and two sureties of £2 10s. each.
1938
Practically naked children
Medical evidence that three children, aged from one to four years, were poorly fed and generally neglected was given by Dr. John Nohilly at Dereen District Court, where a man from Tuam was summoned by Ms Monnelly, N.S.P.C.C., for neglecting his family.
Dr. Nohilly stated that he visited the house on October 12. He examined the three children, aged one to four years. They appeared to be poorly fed and were practically naked, not having sufficient clothing to protect them from the cold.
The bed clothes were scanty and there was no fire in the house and no sign of any turf there. He certified them to be removed immediately to the Children’s Home, as he did not consider they were properly kept. There was no food of any sort in the house, and the children had to be fed by the neighbours on that day.
Galway team travel
Galway Harbour Commissioners at a special meeting held on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution proposed by Mr. T.J.W. Kenny requesting the Gaelic Athletic Association to make arrangements whereby the Galway senior football team when travelling to America would leave from Galway port.
Proposing the resolution, Mr. Kenny said that he would like to congratulate the Galway football team on winning the All-Ireland title. They were all very proud of the Galway team’s wonderful achievement, and he would suggest that when the team were travelling to America, they should travel through their own port.
He was aware that the arrangements for the trip were made by the GAA in America, but he felt sure that if it were put to them they would agree to arrange for the team to leave from Galway. They were trying to put Galway on the map as a port of call and it would be a great thing if the team left Galway for America.
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.
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