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.