Galway In Days Gone By

Rebuilding bridges

In the West Riding of County Galway, no fewer than sixty bridges were broken during the recent troubles. Of these, only three were damaged in pre-truce times: the main damage, which resulted in considerable loss, inconvenience and practical isolation of the rural areas concerned, was the direct result of our own internecine quarrels.

Fortunately, almost within a single year the damage has been in great part repaired. Of the sixty bridges damaged, forty-two have been in great part repaired; the others are on a fair way to completion. At the beginning it was found necessary to execute temporary repairs in order that the roads might be made immediately available for traffic.

These ran to a considerable amount of money; in many cases the work was carried out with difficulty at the urgent request of the people of the district.

In the West Riding, the temporary repairs amounted to £3,666, whilst the cost of permanent repairs carried out to date is £5,203, and the estimated of the repairs still to be carried out is £6,836, or a grand total of £15,705. To this must be added £308 already expended on temporary repairs in the Eastern Division of the county; £1,003 expended on permanent repairs, and an estimated amount of £2,574 for the repairs still to be executed.

Pictured: Prizewinners at Athenry Agricultural Show on September 18, 1976. Front, from left: Michelle O'Connor, Portumna, Anita Cahalan, Athenry and Mary Cooley, Abbeyknockmoy. Back, from left: Carmel Hansberry, Marie Ruane and Eileen Kennedy, all from Athenry.