Galway In Days Gone By

Saorstát election

On Monday next a General Election will be held all over Saorstát Éireann. For the thirty constituencies there are 376 candidates, and for every one of the 153 seats, there are practically three men nominated.

The Government Party has put forward 107 candidates; the anti-treaty, or Republican Party, comes next with 88; the Farmers’ Union is putting forward 68; there are no fewer than 61 Independents, some of whom represent business, town tenants and other interests; and the Labour Party is putting forward a solid block of 52 candidates.

Under the Electoral Act, the poll will commence at nine a.m. o Monday and will close at seven, after which hour no person can vote. In our advertising columns we print the list of polling booths in County Galway and other particulars which should be studied by the voters, and in our news columns the announcement that under the Constitution, so that all citizens may be enabled to exercise the franchise, the day will be observed as a Bank Holiday, with the limitation that essential services will be continued as usual.

Co. Galway has shown remarkable electoral activity for it has put up 24 candidates for the nine seats, the Treaty party heading the list with the full complement, the Farmers’ Union coming next with five. There are four Republicans, two Labour and four that may be roughly classified as Independents.

Pictured: Turf is carted in at Kinvara for Cruinniú na mBad on August 14, 1981.