March 21, 2013

Date Published: 20-Mar-2013

1913

Attempted suicide trial

In the County Hospital, Mr. J. Kilbride, R.M., took depositions in the case in which a young lady from the Claddagh is charged with attempting her life. The step-father gave evidence that because her mother remonstrated with her for staying out later than she should, the defendant [made the attempt].

Sergt. Golding gave evidence of rendering first aid and staunching the wound as best he could till the arrival of the doctor. Dr McDermott said she has since been under his care and there is nothing wrong with her mind. She was returned for trial to the Galway Assizes next week.

Callous treatment

At the meeting of the Oughterard Board of Guardians, the Master’s report revealed the sad fact that the people of the Lettermore district are throwing obstacles in the way of  those who are endeavouring to stamp out the typhus epidemic from the locality by refusing to give lodgings to the male and female attendants who accompany the workhouse ambulance.

The consequence is that they have to sleep in the vehicle, the windows and lamp of which were broken either accidentally or wantonly on Monday last at Bealadangan. A convalescent patient in the workhouse failed to get a conveyance of any kind during the week to bring himself and his family home to Lettermore, although he offered as much as thirty shillings for any sort of a car.

In face of these facts, the guardians offered two horses for the van in order that the journey back and forwards could be accomplished in one day. The object of the people of Lettermore in hampering the guardians in this way would seem to be two-fold: 1st, fear of contagion, and secondly they want a local hospital erected as in the case of the recent fever outbreak in Lettermullen.

The guardians, however, are not up to the present in favour of this latter course, but have given liberty to the master to expend some money in the fitting up of the vacant portions of the workhouse buildings for the accommodation of any further outbreaks that may arise.

1938

Irish girls in London

A Galway man who attended the recent British Industries Fair in London states that in the hotel where he usually stays when in London, there was only one member of the staff Irish two years ago. He was informed that there were now fifty Irish in the hotel, mostly girls, and there was a demand for more Irish hotel workers in London.

He, however, advised no girls to go unless they had first secured a guarantee of work through some trusted friend. In the hotel, he said, there were Galway girls, well-housed on the premises and fairly paid.

The girls were all at kitchen work because they could not take work as housemaids or waitresses, owing to the absence of training. There was, he was told, an all round scarcity of female labour in England, and the best of those girls would soon graduate to better employment. It is obvious from those figures that there must be a considerable exodus of Irish girls into London in recent years.

The emigration figures officially published are revealing, but we have not got the people to maintain the present high level of outflow much longer.

Galwegians great victory

After the most exciting match of the season, Galwegians defeated University College, Galway, by one goal and a try (eight points) to nil in the final of the Connacht Senior Cup, played at the Sportsground, before a very large attendance. This is the first time that Galwegians have won the Cup in nine years.

It was a glorious struggle, and though the play for the most part was more earnest than skilled, it was productive of some very fine rugby.