Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Time Gone By – A browse through the archives of the Connacht Tribune
1914
Volunteers’ parade
The historic town of Loughrea was en fete on Sunday, when a meeting was held to speed on the Volunteer movement which had been inaugurated there during the previous week.
Prior to the meeting, a parade of the Volunteers was held, in which between three and four hundred participated. Their steady marching and admirable discipline created a most favourable impression, and reflects the highest credit on their instructions. After the parade, the meeting was held outside the Temperance Hall, and a very large and enthusiastic crowd was present.
Mr. Farrell, T.C., having been moved to the chair, received a hearty ovation, which showed in a marked manner the regard with which the few survivors of the Fenian movement area held.
He said that his heart was bursting with pride at that day’s magnificent demonstration. He remembered the time when, if men met for drill and parade, as the Volunteers were now doing, they would be arrested and put in jail.
The Volunteers would see that such a time would never come again. The Volunteers would prove to Sir Edward Carson and his Orange followers that no four counties would be allowed to stand in the way of freedom for the Irish nation (loud cheers).
Mr. Geo. Nicholls, B.A., Solr., said the Volunteers were not formed to fight Carson and the Ulster Volunteers, and would not do so unless Carson deliberately provoked the rest of Ireland.
The promoters of the Irish Volunteers wanted to unite all Irishmen in a great national army. Grattan’s Volunteers, having won independence, made the fatal mistake of thinking that their work was accomplished, and they disbanded.
The result was, that through bribery and corruption, the liberty they had won was filched from the Irish nation and Ireland was again like a corpse on the dissecting table.
1939
Garda outwits Romanies
The quiet little town of Clifden, was afforded an unusual and most exciting spectacle on Thursday, when a member of the local Gardaí was seen running helter-skelter through the streets, followed by an angry band of ferocious-looking Romanies.
The Garda ran into the barracks with seven stalwart gipsy-men close on his heels. The barrack door closed promptly as the last of the pursuers entered, and a crowd of townspeople who had gathered outside had mental visions of the building going up in smoke.
Angry voices were heard from within the barrack for some time; then there was a lull, and shortly afterwards the pursued Garda appeared at the door politely showing the “visitors” out.
The Romanies were heard to mutter strange maledictions as they strolled sulkily and slowly back to the encampment at the end of the town.
Later, a “Connacht Tribune” reporter learned the cause of the commotion. It appears that some weeks ago a band of the Romanies were fined in their absence at a district court in Mayo for assaulting the Guards.
Apparently determined not to pay the fine, the band drew reinforcements from three other bands, and the combined “army” consisting of about a score of hefty men and several women and children moved over the border into Connemara where they could easily outnumber the Gardaí garrison in any individual sub-district.
When they arrived in Clifden, however, and pitched an “armed camp” in the local fairgreen, Garda Peter O’Halloran got a brain-wave.
Realising that it would be courting disaster to attempt to arrest them in their stronghold, he decided on a strategy. On seeing one of the band cash an army pension voucher for £3 in the local post office, the Garda trailed him to his camp.
Approaching the Romany, he asked him if he were an ex-soldier and if it rightly belonged to him. The Romany became indignant, and producing his credentials with a flourish, held them under the Garda’s nose.
The Garda promptly snatched then and, turning on his heel, ran for dear life. When they entered the barrack in their wild pursuit of the offending Garda, they were surprised to find the whole station party awaiting them with batons drawn. Seeing that they were trapped, they soon realised that there was no alternative but to pay up their little account to society.
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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