Galway In Days Gone By

Demanding better

There is a general demand all along the system of the Midland Great Western Railway Company for a better service of trains. We sincerely hope the directors will do more to meet that demand than the alteration in the time of departure of the afternoon mail train from Galway which came into operation on Monday last.

Whilst that alteration was welcome in that it revealed a desire to meet public criticism, it does little or nothing to remove the grievances that bear so heavily upon the travelling public.

The main line from Galway to Broadstone is still two trains short per day. In the circumstances of time, it may not be feasible to restore immediately the pre-war train service; but steps should be taken in the public interest to put on one additional passenger train at the earliest moment, and to enable western businessmen to clear their evening posts. It would be nothing short of a public scandal if a public carrying and transport company were to take advantage of the conditions of the time to enter upon a policy of reaction, and to deprive the people of amenities that they had hitherto freely enjoyed.

The argument that the amount of custom drawn from the western counties does not justify a full service of trains must have applied before the war as well as to-day.

Death toll rises

Tragedy, grim and terrible, followed swiftly upon the heels of the Headford ambush. In addition to the shooting of Thomas Collins of Keelkill, which occurred on Tuesday, the 18 inst., the day of the ambush, three men in the districts surrounding Headford were shot dead on Saturday last.

An official telegram reached Dublin Castle on Sunday stating that on Satruday, three men named Michael Hoade, Caherlistrane; John Kirwan, Ballinastack; and William Walsh, of headford, were shot dead while attempting to evade arrest.

Writing on Sunday, our North Galway correspondent have harrowing details of the events of Saturday. In many districts around Tuam (he stated) scenes of awful terrorism broke out on Saturday morning. Several lorries full of armed men went through the country, and people going to Tuam market had to endure the ordeal of indiscriminate rifle firing over their heads.

Details of the shocking occurrences to hand are meagre, but the following tragic happenings are reported:

William Walsh, Clydagh, Headford, was taken out from his breakfast table and found shot dead.

Michl. Hoade, shopkeeper, Caherlistrane, who was also shot dead, resided with a sister, who ran upstairs on seeing the armed party going to the house. Her brother was taken out and brought back a corpse.

Jim Kirwan (26), Ballinastack, was unloading a cart of manure when an armed party went to his house. It is alleged that they ill-treated another brother inside the house and asked the father where is other son was. He told them he was outside in the field.

The armed men went out, and Kirwan was fired at and mortally wounded. Poor Kirwan died shortly afterwards. The horse was also killed. The party went back into the house and told the father his son was shot outside.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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