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

1914

‘Fenians’ attacked

Mr Kilbride, R.M., imposed a smart sentence on John Kelly, a Galway boy, at Oranmore Petty Sessions. The accused was arrested at Castlehacket on the 24th April on a charge of house breaking and malicious injury by Sergt. Kilgannon, and has since been in custody.

From the evidence, it appeared that the accused visited the house of a man named Patrick Hurney at midnight on the 13th April, and broke a window and a beehive. He was sentenced to two months and bound to the peace, or, in default, another month’s imprisonment.

Patrick Hurney said he was in bed on the night and heard some person kicking at the door. He got up and went to the door and heard a voice outside calling ‘Fenians, let me in’.

“I kept the door closed against him. After a little while he said he would shoot us through the window. I did not see him, but I recognised his voice. After leaving the stable, he went into the garden and got two poles and forced open the gable window. My wife saw him going into the garden.”

Replying to Head-Constable Killacky, Hurney said that about sixteen months previously, the defendant committed a similar offence when he was fined 21s, after being a couple of days in Jail.

Answering to the Chairman, complainant said the defendant was employed by another farmer named Mooney. Kelly, he said, was a native of Galway City.

“Were you a Fenian?” asked the Chairman. “No, your honour,” replied witness, “but I thought the street was full of them”. (Laughter). Chairman: I supposed that’s the only thing Pearse has to do now (renewed laughter).

Asked if he had anything to say, defendant admitted that he kicked the door, but did not use the threatening language. He was under the influence of drink at the time. He also denied that he interfered with the beehive. He asked the magistrates to give him a chance, and he would keep away from that part of the country altogether.

Chairman: You got a chance before, as you were only fined on the last occasion. What is his character?

Sergt. Kilgannon: His general character is bad.

Chairman: He will be sentenced to two months’ imprisonment.

1939

City strike threat

At a meeting of the Corporation, the following letter was read from Thos. McDonagh, branch secretary, Galway No. 2 branch of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union: Your letter of April 1 regarding the decision of the Corporation that they are not agreeable to any change in the existing practice regarding the short day, has been passed to me by the organiser, Mr. J. Gilhooly.

“Your Council’s decision has been very carefully considered by the men concerned and by my executive, and I am now instructed to inform you that unless your Council agree to our request for the weekly half-holiday to be changed from Friday to Saturday, our members will take the necessary trade union action to compel your Council to comply with their modest and legitimate request.

“I might add that in view of the fact that the men are agreeable to supply a skeleton gang for necessary cleansing work on Saturdays and that the Saturday gang should rotate amongst the men, we cannot understand your Council’s refusal, particularly as there shall be no additional cost involved.”

Ald. Corbett: Saturday is the day on which we want all the staff, because it is the busiest day, and if we leave the streets dirty on Sundays, it will affect the tourist traffic.

Mayor: Six men are not sufficient to keep the streets clean on Saturdays. It would take six men to clean the fowl market alone. The other members agreed. It was agreed to ask officials of the trade union to meet the Corporation on the matter.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.