Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Time Gone By – A browse through the archives of the Connacht Tribune
1914
Disgraceful uproar
The scene of uproar that marred the quarterly meeting of the Portumna District Council was, in all conscience, a degrading exhibition. But there is not a right-thinking man in Co. Galway who will not approve of, and back up, the attitude of Mr. Kennedy, the newly-appointed Co. Surveyor.
As the turmoil roared around him, he spoke with quiet emphasis. “Earn your money,” he told the howling contractors, “and you will get it. If you think you can frighten me, you are mistaken. You will not deter me from doing my duty. If you don’t conduct yourself, you will be cleared out.”
It is no credit to our county that a public official is this forced to speak in his own defence, but it is certainly a matter for congratulation that at least we have a public official whom no loud shouting or contemptible threats will dissuade from the straight and honest path of duty.
We earnestly hope that Mr. Kennedy will live up to the reputation he has earned. Our roads are admitted to be the worst in Ireland; and it is by no means certain that the contractors are altogether to blame.
In the past, they have scarcely been taught how to do right and justice by their contracts. The reputation of the county has suffered accordingly, and the work of transit and traffic over out public highways has been rendered a tortuous, and, in some instances, a dangerous proceeding. The matter has attained the dimensions of a great public scandal.
1939
Boy orders to be slapped
At the Children’s Court in Galway, before District Justice Sean Mac Giollarnath, three boys, all of the Claddagh, were charged with causing malicious damage to the Claddagh National School and also with the larceny of 3s. from the Savings Certificate box in the school, the property of Mr. P.J. Naughton, principal.
The Justice made an order that one of them get twelve slaps from his father in the presence of Sergeant T.D. Morrisroe. If the father refused to do this, the boy to be slapped by Sergeant Morrisroe, and the County Council was to be notified regarding the committal of another boy. The case against the third boy was adjourned for one week.
Missed the boat
When Miss Eileen Quinn, of Letterfrack, Connemara, who had booked to travel to America on the Canard White Star liner, Laconia, on last Sunday, arrived at Galway docks, she discovered that the tender had left over half an hour previously.
Miss Quinn immediately hired a private launch and set out in an effort to catch the liner, but she was only a short distance outside the lighthouse when she met the tender returning to the docks. At this time, the liner was proceeding out of the bay. The officials decided to make arrangements for Miss Quinn to travel on the Scythia next Sunday.
‘Fatal attraction’
“The fatal attraction of the pictures” was given as the reason for three Galway youths having broken open a poor box in a Galway City church, at Galway District Court.
Mr. H. Macdermot, solicitor, pleaded guilty and stated that there were five boys implicated in all. Three of them went into the church and broke open a poor box, while the other two waited outside. They all went to the pictures on the money which they had taken.
District Justice Sean Mac Giollarnath applied the Probation of First Offenders’ Act and ordered that the parents of the boys pay £1 each into the court poor box.
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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