September 20, 2012

Date Published: 19-Sep-2012

1912

Murder case interest

Interest in the murder of Miss Sarah McGrorey, the itineratnt school teacher, whose mutiliated body was found lying in a field at Newcastle, beyond the Workhouse, on the second day of Galway Races, appears to increase rather than to abate.

On Wednesday morning, the Sickeen man who stands charged with the commission of the crime, was brought from the prison to the Co. Court, large crowds of people watched his progress. All the galleries of the Court were packed before noon, the attendance being noteworthy on this occasion for the number of well-dressed ladies who took their places amongst the onlookers and awaited patiently the arrival of the Resident Magistrate.

A feature of interest is the commemoration of the crime by the people of Newcastle, who have gathered a number of stones from the seashore and placed them flat upon the grass where the dreadful deed occurred, in the form of a cross. Between the shoulders of the cross is the inscription “I.H.S.” and below, the initials of the murdered teacher.

When Mr. Joseph Kilbride, R.M., arrived, exactly half an hour late, Head-constable Killackey, who conducted the case for the Crown, called Sergt. Golding, of Dominick Street station and asked him exactly two questions.

“You are still pursuing inquiries, and have reason to believe that you will be able to connect this man with the crime with which he is charged? – I have

And you pray for a remand for eight days? – Yes.

The prisoner was remanded.

1937

Ballinasloe hospital

The question of a district hospital for Ballinasloe was mentioned at the meeting of the Mental Hospital Committee on Monday, when the committee decided to take over a new farm in Garbally of almost seventy-five acres. It was mentioned that the Galway Board of Health were looking for a site for the purpose of building an hospital in Ballinasloe, and the committee expressed their willingness to offer the Board of Health a site on the new farm and fixed the price at £100 per acre.

The news of the proposed restoration of the district hospital in Ballinasloe will be welcome to the people of the area, who have been long and anxiously awaiting its re-establishment, and for which a protracted agitation has been going on.

The local Government Department also informed the committee of management that the Minister could not see his way to authorise a grant for the purchase of this new farm, and that he had nothing to add to previous correspondence regarding the matter.

Serious accident

There was a serious accident on the main Galway-Tuam road on Sunday evening, a 22 year-old man from Annaghkeen, Headford, was knocked unconscious off his bicycle, when cycling with a companion towards Tuam, by a motor car proceeding towards Galway or Headford.

Up to a late hour on Monday evening, the man’s life was not considered out of danger, and he was in such a weak condition as to be unable to give any account of the accident.

New housing scheme

The Local Government Department has sanctioned £4,000 as the first instalment of the loan of £31,000 for the erection of eight-four houses at Cloonthue and Galway Road, Tuam. The Commissioners have also asked the Department to sanction payment of £1 per house to the clerk (Mr. John Whyte) for the large amount of extra clerical work he had in the preparation of the scheme, and which the scheme will entail on him in the future.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.