June 16, 2010

Date Published: {J}

Ballinasloe asylum

The financial condition of the District Asylum does not appear to be all that can be desired. At the meeting on Monday, a letter was read from the Treasurer, the agent of the Bank of Ireland, stating that the account was overdrawn by £5,000 and that unless provision was made to meet this he would have to refuse to honour cheques.

This state of things seems to have arisen from the committee cutting down the estimate of the R.M.S. which is evidently a false economy. The appeal to the Local Government Board to legalise the payment of interest on an overdraft, is not likely to meet the situation, and the reply of that body is likely to be that they have no power to do so.

Indecent assault

A shocking case of indecent assault was reported to the Tuam police as having occurred on the outskirts of the town on Saturday. The victim of the brutal attack was a child, said to be only four years, whose parents are of the tramp class.

A tailor, said to hail from Kilkenny city, aged 34 years, is accused of the offence. The police, on hearing of his description, immediately set out in chase of the man, who was arrested whilst on his way in the direction of Galway. He was charged before Mr. M. Kilgarriff, J.P., on Sunday, and remanded for eight days. He will be charged on Monday next, at the Petty Sessions. The little girl is presently in the Workhouse hospital, Tuam.

Prisoners’ fund

A meeting of the parish committee of the Craughwell Prisoners’ Defence Fund was held on Saturday night for the purpose of taking steps to make a house to house collection throughout the parish, to help to defray the expenses incurred in the defence of Messrs Dermody and Hynes.

As could be seen by the report of the proceedings of the last meeting of the Co. Committee, a sum of about £70 is still required to clear off all expenses in connection with the trial of these two men, whose innocence has been so clearly vindicated by the verdict of a Co. Dublin jury.

Rumoured picnic

We understand that some of the Tuam ladies are contemplating the organisation of a picnic, which is expected to come off shortly. With the prevailing craze amongst women for votes and equal civil rights as men, it is to be hoped that the Tuam ladies will, like the suffragettes, persist in the carrying out of their object, which the writer wishes may succeed and prove as pleasant as the similar function organised by their gentleman friends a short time ago.

1935

Petrol pumps

Mr. John J. Golding applied for permission to erect four petrol pumps in Eyre Square. Mr. Kennedy wrote to say he had no objection to the erection of three, nor to the fourth if the position were changed to suit his suggestion to the applicant. On the motion of Mr. Corbett, seconded by Mr. Cooke, the necessary permission was granted subject to Mr. Kennedy’s stipulation.

Clifden railway

The Railway Company, it is said, last week brought several lorry loads of sand from Galway to Clifden railway station. The sand, it is stated, was used in the making of a new traffic way from the platform to the former engine shed.

Surprise has been expressed at what is described as this “bringing of coals to Newcastle”. The rate for bringing flour by road is 10s. per ton. The advertisements which appeared last week asking for tenders for the purchase of the super-structure of the line is regarded in Connemara as an indication that all hopes of ever re-opening the line are vain.

New church

It is expected that the new church in the course of erection at Gorumna Island, South Connemara, will be completed and ready for the opening ceremony during the next month. An altar of Connemara marble has been installed by Messrs. Harrison, Dublin, and all the material used in the construction of the church is as far as possible, of Irish manufacture.

By-election campaign

The by-election campaign is progressing in Galway. Hundreds of meetings were addressed by speakers from the two big parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, over the weekend. Senator Padraic O Maille spoke in Irish and English. He asked the farmers if their ancestors would be prepared to sell the country for £4 or £5 in the price of the bullock. They would not, but would go down like men and women and not cringe under the economic war.

Mr. P. Beegan, T.D., said they were prepared to settle the economic war on fair and honest principles. The country was building up to a state of self-sufficiency. They were asked why Fianna Fáil did not declare a Republic.

They would declare a Republic when they were able to maintain it and by producing what the people wanted in food, and that was as important as taking up arms for the Republic.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.