Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Time Gone By – A browse through the archives of the Connacht Tribune.
1913
Brother’s assault
At Galway Petty Sessions, a painful case connected with a dispute between two brothers was heard when Mr. Michael J. O’Brien summoned his brother Thomas for assault.
Mr. Daly, solr., said that on Saturday last, the defendant went into complainant’s shop in Shop-street, knocked him down and almost choked him.
In last November and January, defendant also gave great trouble to the complainant, and when in Dublin, he had stated he would come to Galway and have his brother’s life.
Michael John O’Brien said he carried on a butcher’s business in Galway. On Saturday, his brother entered his shop for the first time since January. Defendant jumped on witness and said he would have his life. His ear began to bleed. Defendant pulled his coat off and half-tore his collar.
A man named Mullins came in and pulled defendant off witness, who was then lying on the floor. On another occasion he came in and smashed all the crockery. He assaulted his uncle and his sister. Witness did not owe the defendant one shilling.
Defendant said he was sorry, but that the complainant owed him money. Mr. Daly suggested that the case should be adjourned to the next court day, and give the defendant an opportunity of leaving the country.
Complainant said he wanted the defendant bound to the peace. Defendant was bound over to keep the peace for twelve months.
1938
Clifden deluge
Prayers for rain were answered in a very decisive manner in the Clifden area on Saturday evening, when “the heavens were opened” and a miniature deluge occurred. It had been raining sporadically all day, but at 6pm, a shower fell which had all the semblances of a cloudburst, and was confined to an area of within five miles radius of Clifden.
The shower, which lasted a little less than an hour, transformed the Clifden River from a trickling stream into a raging torrent, whose banks overflowed in places for more than fifty yards inland.
The Clifden tennis courts, situated near the river, were submerged under several feet of water, as was also the road leading to Lee’s Terrace and the houses there were isolated from the rest of the town.
Several by-roads in the vicinity of the town were completely washed away, and now resemble the bed of a river. Amongst those by-roads was a recently constructed bog road to Glenbricken, which was washed down a hill and deposited on top of a potato plot.
The flood swept down hills at the back of the labourers’ cottages on the Galway road, crashed on the back doors, and came pouring out through the front doors like on many waterspouts.
Although rain continued to fall normally during Sunday, the flooding had completely abated on Monday morning, when there were signs of a return to the warm weather of the past few months.
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.
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
