Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Time Gone By – A browse through the archives of the Connacht Tribune.
1914
Bailiff ‘dipped’
The unpleasant experiences of a water bailiff named John Rooney were mentioned at Oranmore Petty Sessions on Tuesday when Peter Duggan (Heavey), Thomas Duggan and Mary Duggan, were charged with allegedly beating and throwing complainant into the river near Oranmore.
In opening the case, Mr. Daly, who appeared for the complainant, said the assault was rather a serious one.
Peter Duggan, one of the defendants, asked to have the case adjourned, as summonses were received late.
Mr. Daly: The alleged assault took place on the 26th February, and I find the summonses were only issued on the 2nd March. Mr. St. George, C.P.S., said the summonses were only applied for on Saturday, the 28th February.
Mr. Daly: My client was confined to bed as a result of the assault. These men knocked him down, kicked him, and threw him into the river as you would a dead rat. The sergeant of the district was called upon to see this man and can describe the condition he was in. In fact, they did not want to murder him by blows, but to suffocate him in the water.
Chairman (to Peter Duggan): What do you want an adjournment for?
Defendant: I had a few witnesses.
Chairman: That you did not commit the assault?
Defendant: Yes, but I came in later on.
Chairman: What do you suggest the witnesses would prove, that you never beat Rooney?
Defendant: Yes.
It was agreed to adjourn.
Mr. Daly asked the injured man to step forward and show the marks on his neck. Mr. Daly also reminded the Bench that he had a black eye.
Chairman: Oh, we are not a coroner’s jury. We have not come to that … yet (laughter).
Mr. Daly: There is an Act brought in which transfers that duty to resident magistrates (laughter). My client is a water bailiff, and the other men, I believe, are poachers, which circumstance explains the attack made on him.
1939
Island isolated
When a young man from Galway quarrelled with a party of friends with whom he was touring Connemara on Sunday, he probably never foresaw all the trouble he was to give the Gardaí of Gort, Recess and Maam.
`Leaving his friends’ car beyond Maam Cross, this young man walked off “in a huff” towards Clifden at a late hour on Sunday night.
His friends, thinking that he would soon “cool off” waited for his return, but hours passed and he did not come back. The party then became alarmed and drove to Recess garda station, where they reported the matter.
The Recess Gardaí got in touch immediately with Gortmore and Maam and a wholesale search of the three sub-districts was instituted at about 2a.m. on Monday morning.
The search continued until late on Monday. Lake shores in the area were carefully patrolled in search of the man’s clothing or perhaps a farewell message. It was when excitement was at its height that a phone message from Galway brought anti-climax by stating that the man had been at home in Galway since early on Monday morning.
It appears that shortly after parting with his friends he met another party who gave him a seat hack to Galway. The Gardai declined to give the name of the young man to a “Connacht Tribune” reporter.
Amusements nuisance
By five votes to three, Galway Corporation at a meeting in the City Hall, decided to terminate Mr. A. Toft’s lease of Salthill Park and not to allow his amusements fair or any other amusements fair to enter the park this summer.
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.
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
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
