November 15, 2012

Date Published: 14-Nov-2012

1912

Workhouse horse

At a meeting of Galway Board of Guardians, the master reported that the workhouse horse was suffering from old age and was unfit for the ordinary work of the house. He might do for odd jobs around the house, but a remarkable thing about him lately was that he would not go past the new cemetery (laughter).

Mr Gallagher: Surely he does not expect to be interred there.

After discussion, it was decided to keep him for odd work about the place and to instruct Mr. Kyne, R.O., to buy another horse at the forthcoming fairs in the town at a reasonable price.

Lighting of Loughrea

On Thursday evening a public meeting of the householders of Loughrea was held at the Temperance Hall in reference to the proposed lighting of the town by electricity. Mr. Thomas Sweeney, T.C., said anybody could readily see the necessity for an improved lighting system for the town. Fifteen years ago they (the Commissioners) embarked on the project.

This scheme and that scheme were discussed with the result that up to the present, nothing had been done. Lately, it occurred to somebody to ask their enterprising townspeople, Messrs. Sweeney Bros. to light the town by electricity, and they kindly consented to do so.

Before embarking on the project, Messrs. Sweeney wanted to know how many of the householders of the town would be prepared to take in the light, in order to give him an idea as to the power that would be required to generate electricity.

1937

Invisible aeroplane

On Friday afternoon, the people of Ballygar and Creggs districts had their attentions attracted skywards by the roar of an aeroplane engine, but although the machine must have been flying at a low altitude (judging by the sound) it was not visible to anyone. The sky was overcast at the time and the pilot was evidently in difficulties in the clouds and was circling over the district for several minutes.

Water complaints

There are serious complaints heard in Tuam these days about the domestic water supply. At the last meeting of the Homes’ Committee, Dr. T.B. Costello reported that there was a continual shortage of water to the Children’s Home. On Sunday last the people were told that the water would be cut off on Monday.

Housekeepers made preparations accordingly, but the water was not actually cut off until Tuesday, when nobody was prepared for it, and in addition, instead of being cut off from 10am to 6pm it was cut off from 8.30am to 8.30pm.

It is unnecessary to point out the serious inconvenience arrangements like this cause so far as domestic water supply is concerned. There are also complaints about the purity of the water, and it is alleged that it does not pass through any filtering process. This, of course, is a matter entirely for the medical authority, and we feel sure that if complaints on this account were genuine, the matter would have been seen to by them.

Dangerous streets

The Tuam streets are in a bad state of disrepair owing to the heavy motor traffic, and after the beet campaign they are likely to become absolutely dangerous. We understand that the county surveyor was to have a special grant available for expenditure on this work, but unfortunately, owing to the delay in starting the second part of the sewerage scheme, the work is to be held up indefinitely.