Date Published: 25-May-2011

1911

‘Amusing’ assault

A man named Michael Ward, from Newgarden, summoned Patrick Brogan, Tuam for assault. Complainant deposed that he was passing the door of a public house in High Street, Tuam, where the defendant was packing eggs. Defendant made a certain remark towards him and he said he would report it to the police, and the administrator of the parish.

Witness remembered retorting in an offensive manner. Defendant, he said, then rushed at him with his clenched fist and struck him on the side of the jaw. The blow knocked him breathless (laughter).

Continuing, witness went on to prove that the defendant had assaulted him on a later occasion. He alleged that he was kicked twice, and that some friend of the publican’s said: “Give it to him now”.

“And he did give it to me,” added the complainant. He expressed his horror at such conduct in Tuam, where they had seminaries, colleges and convents (laughter).

Chairman: And two cathedrals (laughter).

Mr Hosty: And a resident magistrate (renewed laughter).

Mr Concannon (solr.): Yes, and an Archbishop and Bishop (more laughter).

Continuing, complainant said that defendant swore at him, and “this fellow makes friends with all the police” (laughter).

In cross-examination by the defendant, he denied that the latter told him to go away and mind his own business.

The Chairman asked the complainant who the policeman was that he alleged was with the defendant.

Mr Concannon asked the complainant to turn around to see would he recognise the policeman.

“Don’t you say anything,” retorted the complainant to Mr Concannon, whom, he said, he offered a fee for the case (loud laughter).

Constable Connell having given evidence which was to the effect that Ward was the aggressor on the occasion, the Bench dismissed the case.

1936

Clifden airport

A report that air experts visited Aillebrack last week in connection with the proposed trans-oceanic service has given rise to much speculation in Clifden and surrounding districts. It was impossible to get anything official on the subject, but the fact that experts did visit the scene seems to be fairly well established. They are stated to have conducted an inspection lasting almost two hours, after which they left immediately by car without calling on anyone in the locality.

Mr. P. Casey, Hon. Sec. of the Clifden Airport Development Committee, stated that in view of the recent statement by Sit Philip Sassoon, British Under-Secretary of State for Air, that the site for the Irish terminal would be the most westerly part of the Free State, it was not unlikely that the experts would have inspected Aillebrack, which is the most westerly part of the country.

Foreign city menace

An aspect of social conditions deserving of national attention lies behind a suggestion made at a meeting of the Galway City Vocational Education Committee that an effort should be made to maintain contact between the Irish vocational schools and the past domestic economy students of these schools.

Each year, large numbers of Irish girls are lured across the Channel by the prospects of big wages in England and Scotland. The bright lights of the city are too bright for not a few of these young people of unformed character and no experience, and some eventually drift into those conditions which are engaging the attention of social welfare workers.

Starvation is not the least of the evils which befall some of these hapless ones in strange surroundings. There are other and greater dangers which, in the words of a prominent welfare worker, are “too shocking to bear to mention”.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.