May 16, 2013

Date Published: 15-May-2013

 1913

Connemara fever

William O’Malley, M.P. writes: it is deplorable that the Lettermullen district should be once more afflicted with the terrible scourge of typhus, and it is a scathing comment on our systems of government that nothing of a preventive character has been done all those years.

Only a few years ago, the public were asked to come to the relief of these poor people, always on the verge of starvation, and here we are again with another charitable appeal.

I asked a question about this outbreak the other day of the Chief Secretary, but his reply seemed to exonerate the Local Government Board from any remissness in the matter. I made a personal appeal to him to find money to provide a hospital. It is the duty of the Union to do all this, but the Union is so poor, and already so burdened with rates, that it is not reasonable to expect them to do more than they have been doing.

1938

Prayers for rain

Prayers for rain were offered up in Tuam Cathedral during the week. The seven weeks’ drought has had a serious effect on early sown gardens of vegetables and early potato crops have been affected by the night ground frosts. The Tuam May fairs on Tuesday and Wednesday were about the worst on record, buying of stock being practically at a standstill owing to the shortage of grass. Rain fell on Tuesday evening, but was not heavy enough to alter the unprecedented situation very much.

Railway report

The report that the G.S.R. Company contemplated the closing down of the railway service between Tuam and Sligo does not appear to receive any credence in Tuam, considering that it has caused little or no alarm here, and if the report were true Tuam would be very much interested.

One report has it that the company was considering closing the passenger service only and maintaining the line for the goods traffic, which is a very big one. In view, however, of the company’s statement that no decision of any kind has been taken, there is no need for alarm at present.

Road repairs

Tuam’s streets are going from bad to worse for the want of the long-promised repairs. So far, there is no sign of a start being made, and the second part of the sewerage scheme appears to be also held up for some inexplicable reason.

If the streets are left unrepaired for another winter with another beet campaign on top of them, they will be positively dangerous. Certainly, it is not very encouraging to tourists that our roads and streets should be in their present condition.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.