Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1914
Stormy scenes
On the conclusion by the Clerk of the reading of the Co. Surveyor’s report at the quarterly meeting of Tuam District Council, Galway on the general maintenance of the roads for the preceding quarter, and the payments for that period, Mr Nohilly asked the Co. Surveyor what proportion of the total amount was to be paid. It was not really fair.
Before the Co. Surveyor could reply, a howl of protest was raised from the body of contractors at the end of the Council Chamber. “Let him make them himself”, “To h… with him” and other offensive epithets rent the air.
The Chairman vacated his seat, and appealed for order. Addressing the contractors, he said their behaviour would not serve them. They were only destroying themselves.
Every one of them had sureties, and they knew if they did not do the work themselves, those sureties would have to do it for them. It was, therefore, better that they should keep quiet. They know that this was the worst quarter of the year.
Voices: “There is no fair play; we want to speak for ourselves.”
The Chairman threatened to have them removed if they did not allow the business to proceed.
Mr. Lynskey: It is very hard to blame them.
Chairman: It is no credit to you, or the members of the Council, to be speaking in that way.
Mr. T. Burke, in a very excited tone joined the contractors in their protest against the Co. Surveyor’s report. His remarks were drowned in the noisy din that prevailed.
1939
Throttling eviction row
Superintendent Dunphy at Lawrencetown in the case of Thomas Quinn, Keelogues, Eyrecourt, was charged with assaulting Francis Horan, Meelick.
Horan was evicted from a labourer’s cottage, held from the Board of Health sometime previously, and in evidence told the court that he was sitting inside his own gate one day when Quinn, the defendant, passed.
Some words passed regarding the eviction, and without any apparent reason or cause, he alleged that defendant went inside the gate and throttled him, and knocked him down.
Witness’s wife, he said, came to his assistance, or the defendant, he said might have done him injury. The defendant, who was not legally represented, asked the witness if he accused him and his father of having had something to do with the eviction, and the witness denied this.
The defendant said he was proceeding along the road and spoke to Horan. Some words passed about the eviction and Horan muttered something which he took to mean that he, defendant, and his father, had something to do with evicting him. He then went inside the gate and Horan ran for a weapon – a stick. A scuffle ensued, in which he, defendant, tried to defend himself. He knocked down Horan in the scuffle.
The Justice said he would not have any hesitation in sending the defendant to prison, but on inquiring from the sergeant (Ruddy, Eyrecourt), and being informed that the defendant was a farmer, his imprisonment might be a loss to his family, the justice imposed a fine of 60s, and ordered the defendant to enter into bails for his good behaviour for twelve months, or in default, three months imprisonment.
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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.
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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.
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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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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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