Galway In Days Gone By
1926Islanders’ distressThe Local Government Ministry, in a letter to the quarterly meeting of the Galway County County Council, alleged that there was no distress on the island of Innisboffin, as had been suggested some weeks ago, the islanders having a sufficient supply of potatoes for eating and seed purposes.
When the letter was read, members from Connemara entered an emphatic protest against the Ministry’s statement, a Republican member describing it as “Ministerial Eye-wash”.
Mr. G. Bartley (Republican) said he disagreed absolutely with the statement furnished by the Minister. He was in a position to tell the council that there was real want on Boffin. A supply of potatoes was not sufficient to keep people alive. These people did not eat meat from end of the year to the other and their only means of livelihood, namely the fishing industry, had been taken away from them owing to the English trawlers’ poaching activities.
The doctor resident on the island had reported that the people were in a very bad condition, and that consumption was rife.
He (Mr. Bartley) agreed with everything the doctor said. The secretary said at nearly every meeting heart-rending reports were read about the condition of the people. There was scarcely any doubt that there was serious distress. He belied relief measures were urgently required.
It was decided to again call the attention of the Ministry to the plight of the islanders.
1951
Absent voters
THE Irish people's sense of responsibility in regard to national affairs may be as high as that to be found in any democratic country and higher than in some, but it is no tribute to them that roughly one-third of the electorate take no part in the very important duty that is theirs of helping to choose a good Government and a helpful Opposition.
All the recent Governments of this country have been chosen by only about two-thirds of the electorate. The example of County Galway in the last General Election is not one of greater neglect of duty than elsewhere, but rather a typical instance of what happened all over the country in all recent General Elections.
At the time of the General Election of 1948 the contest in the three County Galway constituencies was fought on a total electorate 96,166 and of that number 27,751 of those who had a right and duty to vote gave no assistance to the country to choose the best form of Government. In the West Galway constituency almost 11,000 of the electorate of 32,499 abstained from voting; in South Galway there wore over 7,500 abstentionists out of a total register of 30,912, and in North Galway over 9,000 of the electorate remained away from the polling booths.
The abstentionists have little right to criticise the Government when policies with which they do not hold are put into operation, but as a general rule the abstentionists are loudest of all in their criticism.
Possibly many of those who now stay away from the polling booths would be among the first to respond to a call to arms on behalf of the country should the need arise. No such sacrifice is demanded of them, but their duty to themselves and to the country should be no less clear when it involves the selection of men to look after the welfare of the country for which many suffered much. [Editorial].
1976
New school frustration
The seven-year-old saga of the proposed new girls’ secondary school for Salthill to replace the present Salerno is making such little progress that the parents directly involved are becoming increasingly puzzled and exasperated.
The saga began in 1969 when the Sisters of Jesus and Mary received approval by the Department of education for a new school on the existing site of Salerno to cater for 200 pupils.
A year or so later, the Department withdrew the approval on the grounds that “new thinking” within the Department pointed to the desirability of larger schools to cater for rolls of 400 pupils or thereabouts.
In 1975 there was some progress when the Department approved plans for the new school on another site on two and a half acres of the Coláiste Éinde grounds.
Extensive correspondence between the parents’ association and the Department and also involving the Taoiseach, the Minister for Education and Minister for Finance and Board of Works officials, Dail questions and various other forms of lobbying have to date brought no further progress.
At a representative and well attended parents’ meeting in Salerno on Wednesday, there were protests at and severe criticism of the continuing hold-up of the school plan.
2001
Brides’ dresses stolen
Three brides were not quite left wearing ‘something borrowed’ on their big day – but they were certainly a tad blue after the designer dresses they had ordered for their weddings in Galway last weekend were stolen from a Loughrea bridal shop.
The unfortunate brides may not have worn the original dress of their dreams up the aisle by the shop management replaced each of the dresses with another designer gown.
Over £21,000 worth of designer dresses were stolen from Her Day Bridal Shop on Bride Street during a break-in which occurred some time between 5pm on Tuesday, May 1, and 8am on May 2.
A door was forced open and among the haul were 21 wedding dresses, 22 communion dresses, six veils and two cloaks – although there is some stock left, the shop was almost cleaned out, according to Gardaí in Loughrea.
A spokesperson for Loughrea Gardaí said that about three of the dresses had been put aside for brides who were to wed last weekend or in the next couple of weeks.
Among the dresses stolen were designs from San Martin, Eternity, Special Day, Mon Cheri, Benjamin Roberts, Elizabeth Jane and Ladybird.
The Garda spokesperson explained: “These are very special dresses and if they turn up at another wedding, they will stand out. This is communion and confirmation time so we would urge people to contact us if they are offered dresses by David Charles or Mon Cheri.”