Galway In Time Gone By - A browse through the archives of the Connacht Tribune

As the turmoil roared around him, he spoke with quiet emphasis. “Earn your money,” he told the howling contractors, “and you will get it. If you think you can frighten me, you are mistaken. You will not deter me from doing my duty. If you don’t conduct yourself, you will be cleared out.”

It is no credit to our county that a public official is this forced to speak in his own defence, but it is certainly a matter for congratulation that at least we have a public official whom no loud shouting or contemptible threats will dissuade from the straight and honest path of duty.

We earnestly hope that Mr. Kennedy will live up to the reputation he has earned. Our roads are admitted to be the worst in Ireland; and it is by no means certain that the contractors are altogether to blame.

In the past, they have scarcely been taught how to do right and justice by their contracts. The reputation of the county has suffered accordingly, and the work of transit and traffic over out public highways has been rendered a tortuous, and, in some instances, a dangerous proceeding. The matter has attained the dimensions of a great public scandal.

1939

Boy orders to be slapped

At the Children’s Court in Galway, before District Justice Sean Mac Giollarnath, three boys, all of the Claddagh, were charged with causing malicious damage to the Claddagh National School and also with the larceny of 3s. from the Savings Certificate box in the school, the property of Mr. P.J. Naughton, principal.

The Justice made an order that one of them get twelve slaps from his father in the presence of Sergeant T.D. Morrisroe. If the father refused to do this, the boy to be slapped by Sergeant Morrisroe, and the County Council was to be notified regarding the committal of another boy. The case against the third boy was adjourned for one week.

Missed the boat

When Miss Eileen Quinn, of Letterfrack, Connemara, who had booked to travel to America on the Canard White Star liner, Laconia, on last Sunday, arrived at Galway docks, she discovered that the tender had left over half an hour previously.

Miss Quinn immediately hired a private launch and set out in an effort to catch the liner, but she was only a short distance outside the lighthouse when she met the tender returning to the docks. At this time, the liner was proceeding out of the bay. The officials decided to make arrangements for Miss Quinn to travel on the Scythia next Sunday.

‘Fatal attraction’

“The fatal attraction of the pictures” was given as the reason for three Galway youths having broken open a poor box in a Galway City church, at Galway District Court.

Mr. H. Macdermot, solicitor, pleaded guilty and stated that there were five boys implicated in all. Three of them went into the church and broke open a poor box, while the other two waited outside. They all went to the pictures on the money which they had taken.

District Justice Sean Mac Giollarnath applied the Probation of First Offenders’ Act and ordered that the parents of the boys pay £1 each into the court poor box.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.