Galway In Days Gone By

Cowardly conduct

Entering the house of Patrick Burke, farmer, Kilcoona, two armed and disguised men demanded from his sister, the only occupant, where her brother’s gun was, one of them at the same time sending two bullets through the roof.

It would appear that the outrage occurred on Friday evening last at about 7.30.

Becoming terrified, the girl directed them to the adjoining room. Failing to find any arms, they returned and threatened her, whereupon she collapsed. Apparently becoming alarmed, the raiders decamped; but before they left, a third armed and disguised man, who had kept guard by the door whilst they were inside, discharged his own gun into the kitchen where the solitary girl was.

Kilcoona lies midway between Headford and Clonboo, but off the main road. The scene has been visited by the County and District Inspectors and the local police, but no trace of the raiders has been found.

1943

Shortage of turf

While the citizens of Galway would welcome the removal of the unsightly turf dump from the park in Eyre Square, they feel that a more opportune moment could have been chosen for disposing of this miniature mountain of fuel. Just now there is a very appreciable shortage of turf. The new crop will not be available for some time – the exact period depends upon the weather. The turf is in the bogs, but it cannot be got out of them at present owing to flooding.

According to our Connemara correspondent, there is a veritable fuel famine in the midst of the Connemara bogs. Many of the people living in the big turf areas would have had enough good turf for their own use if they had not sold it all last year at the earliest possible moment. It is an ironic commentary on our turf control arrangements that there should be this shortage in the midst of plenty.

In these circumstances, we consider that exportation of the turf dump in Eyre Square is a matter not to be decided upon lightly. The turf was stored there as an emergency supply for Galway, and it looks as if the emergency were at hand.

Salthill Pier

A pier built on Palmer’s Rock would act, it is said, as a breakwater to prevent the flooding of hotel basements and other premises on the front at Salthill. The owners of the places affected believe that unless something of the sort is done without delay, their premises are in danger of being undermined by the sea.

Already, they have suffered serious damage as the result of this winter’s floods which, they assert, have been worse than any previously experienced.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.