Galway In Days Gone By

Margarine strike

At the Loughrea Board of Guardians, the following letter was received:

“Gentlemen – We, the inmates of the Workhouse, most humbly ask you to give us a bit of butter or an egg instead of the margarine. We have never used a bit of it, and are eating our bread dry.

“Poor Miss Raftery used to put her but of butter in the stirabout the matron gives her, and now she has to eat it dry, and she is weak on her feat.

“Hoping your honours will grant us a bit of butter. We remain, your humble servants.”

Chairman: There is a general strike against margarine.

Mr. O’Loughlin: We have nothing to do with it. We will refer it to the medical officer. It was on his recommendation we adopted it.

Chairman: It was a cruel thing to do. Would there be any use in giving notice to have the order rescinded

Mr. O’Loughlin: I would not like to rescind an order made only a few weeks ago.

Mr. O’Dea, we had no right to let them know they were to get the margarine. He [the doctor] would be a good judge who could tell whether it was butter or margarine.

1940

Army desertion

When three young men from Carraroe district appeared at Spiddal Court before District Justice Mac Giollarnath, charged with desertion from the army, one of them stated that he had go two day’s leave in order to get married and merely overstayed the time allowed. He was quite willing to go back now.

The Justice said that he could make no order in the case of another of the men, because the Army officer who gave evidence failed to identify him as the truant soldier and the Garda who arrested him could not state that he was a deserter.

The man himself remained silent throughout the proceedings and when all was over, he told the Justice that he was willing to return to the Army.

All three “re-volunteered” in Court and returned to barracks.

School burns down

Aillebrack national School, Ballyconneely, was burned to the ground in the ewaly hours of Tuesday morning. The Clifden Gardaí were called to the scene shortly after the outbreak had been discovered at 3a.m., but the flames had buy then firmly gripped the building and the police were unable to cope with the fire. The origin of the fire is as yet unknown, but the guards are pursuing inquiries.

All-star Game

Leinster 11 Connacht 11

A shrill whistle – free to Leinster. A hush fell upon the crowd as Carry, the captain, carefully placed the ball. Then, with a mighty kick, he sent the ball sailing between the posts for those all-important three points which levelled the scores and saved his side from suffering their first defeat at the hands of the Connachtmen.

This was the dramatic and – for the small band of western supporters who made the long trek to the marble City – most disappointing ending to the Interprovincial game at St. James’s Park, Kilkenny, on Saturday, which resulted in a draw of two goals (one penalty) and a try, to three goals (two penalties).

The points were evenly divided by the honours were not, for Connacht – who played with only fourteen men for three-quarters of the game – had the better of the fast and furious exchanges all through.

If ever the Westerners deserved victory, it was on this occasion, but Lady Luck thought otherwise and a penalty goal secured by Leinster in the last few minutes, from a free which should never have been awarded, cheated them of a chance of making rugby history by defeating their opponents for the first time.

Connacht: Full-back: C. Mahoney (Corinthians); Three-quarters: S. Gill (UCG), T. Lenihan (do.), C. Finan (Galwegians), W. Callinan (Loughrea); Half-backs: G. Mahoney (Corinthians and Dolphin) and F. Flattery (Corinthians); Forwards: R. Grealish (Galwegians), A.J. Roche (do.), B. Donohue (Loughrea), J. Joyce (Galwegians), D. Ryan (Loughrea). J. Owens (Corinthians), D.B. O’Malley (UCG) and P.J. Horan (do.).