Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Time Gone By – A browse through the archives of the Connacht Tribune
1914
Connemara Land War
The Connemara cattle driving prisoners, Messrs. P.J. Wallace, P. McLoughlin, A. McDonnell, John Lacey, D.C., Pat Heanue and Martin Faherty, who were released on Friday morning last from Galway jail, received a memorable welcome home.
That Connemara appreciated their self-sacrifice and suffering for the cause of ‘The Land for the People’, was made evident in no uncertain manner by the romping welcome they received from a huge concourse of people when the 4.30pm train steamed into Clifden station on Friday evening.
As soon as the train was seen slowly making her way into the station, a mighty cheer was raised, which was continued until the train drew up alongside the platform, and everyone rushed forward. The carriage door was thrown open, and the cattledrivers were seen sitting smiling inside.
The cheering was deafening, and before one could be aware of what was happening, the prisoners were raised high over the crowd and borne aloft on stalwart shoulders, and placed on a brake which was waiting outside.
The horses were unyoked from the brake, and a score of stout young men pulled it out from the platform, and along the streets followed by the band playing and the great procession of people cheering lustily.
Gruesome find
A shocking discovery was made on Monday afternoon at Newcastle, situate about three quarters of a mile outside Galway, when the body of an infant was found in a box buried in a field. A man named James Kelly was attracted by the conditions of a freshly dug up patch of ground, and on kicking away the earth, he found a box in which was the body of an infant neatly dressed. The condition of the body would go to show that the child had died within 24 hours of its birth.
1939
Refusal for cottages loan
In a letter to the Galway County Board of Health, the Minister for Local Government and Public Health referred to the proposal of the Board to raise a loan of $105,000 for the acquisition of lands and the building of 300 labourers’ cottages in the county; and stated that owing to insufficient evidence of the need for the cottages being submitted, he should withhold sanction.
Children on tour
One hundred and twenty persons, including two unaccompanied children aged nine and seven from Tuam, embarked on the Cunard White Star liner, Scythia, on her first outward bound-trip of the season from Galway on Sunday morning.
Many of those who embarked at Galway port were girls making their first trip to America. Fifty-five sacks of mails were put on board.
Fatal accident
Three motor accidents, one of which had fatal results, occurred near Galway on Wednesday. The fatal accident occurred at about 7 p.m. at Merlin Par, when Thomas Cummins, a farmer of Derrydonnell, Oranmore, who was travelling home from Galway, received terrible injuries when, it appears, his Baby Ford car ran up on the embankment near the railway bridge and overturned.
Mr. Cummins was thrown from his car to the other side of the road, where he was found lying in an unconscious state by Capt. Waithman, who reported the matter to the Gardaí at Eglinton-street.
A car on the top of which a coffin was tied and stated to be driven by Joseph Bannerton, Ahascragh, came into collision with another car alleged to have been driven by Christopher Daly, Westport, at about 4 p.m. near the electric power station at Bohermore, Galway.
Both cars were badly damaged, but the occupants luckily escaped with slight injuries.
A delivery van stated to be the property of McCambridge and Co., Shop-street, Galway, and driven by Michael O’Neill struck a young child near Whitehall. The child escaped with a slight cut on the arm.
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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