Galway In Days Gone By

Home Rule celebrations

At Headford Petty Sessions, Galway, Mr. Michael Doherty, licensed publican, was prosecuted for a breach of the Licensing Act.

Constable Quirke stated that on the 28th May he entered the licensed premises and saw a party there who was not a bona-fide traveller.

Mr. Concannon, solr., on behalf of both defendants, admitted the charge and said that the offence happened on a night of great rejoicing not only in Headford, but everywhere.

It was the night of the passing of the Home Rule Bill.

Mr. Comerford (D.I., prosecuting): Not everywhere.

Mr. Concannon: We had it in Tuam.

Mr. Comerford: Tuam is not everywhere – not in Ulster.

Mr. Concannon: We have our own Volunteers as well as Ulster.

The publican was fined 20s. and costs.

Kinvara ‘gun fight’

At Kinvara Petty Sessions, Mr. O’Beirne, D.I., summoned Thomas Shaughnessy and Michael Staunton, for disorderly conduct. Thomas Kearns deposed that he was in Gill’s public-house. Shaughnessy came in and asked Staunton something about a revolver he had in his hand.

A tussle ensued between the defendants, in the course of which the revolver left Staunton’s possession.

Sergeant Reilly slated he considered it advisable to have both defendants bound to the peace. The Bench ordered the defendants to enter into a bond, themselves in £10, and two sureties of £5 each, to keep the peace.

1939

‘Late’ nurses cautioned

At a meeting of Galway Hospitals and Dispensaries Committee, the secretary recalled that three girls had been reported out of the Central Hospital until four o’clock one morning. They had been asked for an explanation and they now wrote stating that they arrived at the porter’s lodge at 12.30am, got in over the wall and in through the window of the dormitory.

They were sorry that this occurred and added that it had not been their intention when leaving the hospital to remain out later than the usual time.

The matron wrote stating that she looked on the fault as serious, but as the girls had long service in the institution, she asked the committee not to deal with the matter more seriously than to curtail the girls’ weekly late pass.

The committee agreed to leave the matter pass with a caution. Mr. Lydon remarked that girls going out on bikes found it very difficult to time their return.

100 year-old trees felled

James Finn, Moorpark, was prosecuted under the Forestry Act for cutting trees on his land without having got permission from the guards. For similar offences, Joseph Corbett, Shudane, and Martin Rabbitt, Fahy’s Village, were also prosecuted. Mr R.J. Kelly, State Solicitor, prosecuted.

Guard Bodkin said that on January 26 he found four beech trees felled on Finn’s land. The trees were over 100 years old and were only suitable for firewood.

Guard Kerins said he found eleven trees cut on Corbett’s land. Corbett told the Justice they had to cut the trees for firewood owing to the bad season for turf last year. There were nine or ten people getting the timber for firewood and he did not receive and did not ask any money for it.

Guard Henry said he found one beech tree felled on Martin Rabbitt’s land.

Mr Kelly said the prosecutions in cases of this kind were becoming frequent. The offences appeared to have all occurred early in the present year. There were very little formalities to be gone through in getting permission from the guards, who gave such applications very favourable consideration. He was instructed to ask for penalties in these cases as a warning to others.

The Justice said he didn’t like to see three prosecutions coming together as it should total disregard of the Act. It was all pure carelessness as the guards showed sympathetic consideration to all applicants for leave to cut trees, especially for firewood.

If these offences continued in the district, he would impose a stiff penalty. He fined defendants 4s., 11s., and 1s., respectively.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.