March 18, 2010

Date Published: {J}

Scurrilous postcards

Dear Editor,

For the past year in a district in West Galway, which I must say is inhabited by a good moral people, an abominable and vile practice has arisen of sending immoral and scurrilous postcards. Considering that such has been done by people who are supposed to know better, it makes the matter worse.

The danger of contaminating the morals of people by this practice can best be seen from the following illustration. Consider, where division of labour is used, as in post offices, the number of persons who handle and read these vile cards, the immoral impressions created, finally the country postboy, who is not trained in this immoral language, thinks them something awful.

Now postmen are human, and liable to err, and may unconsciously break faith by telling his neighbour at home, such and such got a dirty postcard today.

I think in a Catholic country like Ireland, and especially in the Holy season of Lent, people should try and practise the beautiful dictums of out sublime Catholic religion.

Further, I should say that the postal authorities should be induced to issue more stringent rules in connection with this part of the public service.

Tribune acquisition

We are pleased to be in a position to inform our numerous patrons in Tuam and N. Galway that we have just acquired the entire plant, machinery and good-will of the County Printing Works, Waterslade, Tuam, where in past years the ‘Tuam News’, then the leading Nationalist newspaper in Co. Galway was run by the late Mr. John McPhilpin.

Since Mr. McPhilpin’s lamented death, the printing works have been conducted by his nephews Messrs. Flannelly Bros., that whom there are no more deservedly popular or upright young men in North Galway.

In a short time, owing to the immense success which we have achieved in the district, we shall have established a branch office of the Tribune in Tuam, where orders may be booked and newsagents supplied.

Blackguard act

In every sense of the word was the act perpetrated on the piano in the reading room of the Tuam Temperance Society last week blackguardly. Its gravity was the more serious as it was only in the act of preparations for the St. Patrick’s Night concert that the discovery was made.

It was then found that damage of a serious nature to the hammer-heads was carried out, involving the replacement by new ones at a heavy cost.

The outrage, to properly describe it, has received the opprobrium of the townspeople, who are strong in the denunciation of the perpetrator, the punishment of whom could not be stronger than his villainy.

1935

Train smash

The railway gates at the level crossing at Claureen, Tuam, were broken to bits on Tuesday evening when the 8.20pm train dashed through them. It is stated that the train was over twenty minutes behind time.

Damp floors

We are told that in some country schools the children’s feet are in water all day long on damp floors during the winter months and at the same time, their shivering bodies are exposed to the wintry winds through badly-fitting windows and doors. And children are expected to take an interest in the teachers’ instructions under such hardships.

There is no need to pursue the unreasonableness of expecting children to study under such conditions. There are, at least, two schools in particular in Tuam district which have come under notice recently, and it is unbelievable that such places still exist for housing school children.

Parents are everyday summoned and fined at courts for not sending their children to such schools and in this connection, it must be remembered that the duty of the State to provide proper schools is still more important since legislation was introduced making attendance at school compulsory on all children – a very necessary and useful piece of legislation. There should be no further delay in having all condemned schools demolished and replaced by properly up-to-date buildings.

Salthill development

Following a unanimous decision from the Galway Harbour Commissioners early in the day asking the Minister for Defence to send two army aeroplanes to accompany the military parade in Galway on St. Patrick’s Day, the Salthill Development Committee, at a meeting held in Eglinton Hotel, Galway last night, also passed a resolution asking the Minister in view of Galway’s anxiety to develop and airport and its unique position on the West Coast, to do his best to send army planes to follow the military procession on the national holiday. This message was conveyed by telephone by the Very Rev. P. Canon Davis, P.P., president of the association, this morning.

At the meeting, Mr. Clancy appeared on behalf of the I.T.A. and stated he had been very well received in Salthill and that plans were now complete for the special Salthill folder which will be issued this year.

It was resolved to make further efforts to see if it would be possible to have a small boat-slip erected for the coming season.

The President announced that he had an assurance from the Urban Council that a Salthill sewerage scheme would be provided for in the next financial year.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.