January 21, 2010

Athenry cottagesAt a meeting of the Loughrea Guardians, a letter was read from Mr. J. Broderick, contractor, Athenry, requesting the Council to take over possession of the six cottages at Caheroyan which he had completed since September last.

Mr Flannery believed that the tenants for those cottages were at present living in very bad houses. It was a hardship on them to be kept so long out of the new houses.

Mr Sweeney (engineer) though it would not be advisable to let them into the new cottages until the houses adjoining them were completed.

It was decided to adjourn the matter for a fortnight, the engineer stating that he would be prepared to give a certificate in the meantime; the rents of all contracted cottages in the union to be fixed on the same date.

Woodford pumpDr. Keary, in his report, stated that last week, for the third time, he reported the Woodford pump out of order. Since then, he has discovered quite accidentally that someone had gone through the form of repairing it. He had tried twice, and failed to get any water out of it.

He recommended that payment be absolutely withheld until the pump was so repaired that water could be got out of it and the well there properly cleaned, and lot left, as at present, liable to pollution by surface washings.

An order was made to serve notice on the contractor to attend to the matter at once, cheque to be withheld in the meantime.

Poisoning rumourFortunately the rumour is false, which was circulated a short time ago, that an attempt was made to poison a certain family at Casegar by placing poison in a tub from which they took water for drinking purposes. The analyst’s report states that there was no trace of any poison whatever in the water submitted to him for analysis.

Railway accidentOne morning last week, the 4.25am train from Galway to Clifden dashed through the railway gates, which are adjacent to the Maam Cross station.

The morning was dark, and the lamp, which had been suspended from its usual place, was quenched.

It seems that the gatekeeper should have the gates open by the time the train was to pass through. However, he regrets the accident very much, and it is the first time there has been any neglect in his department.

1935

Racecourse landmineIn the early hours of Wednesday morning, a land mine set in one of the stables at Ballybrit, the famous Galway racecourse, the property of the late Mr. Martin McDonogh, T.D., now owned by Mr Thomas McDonogh, CoC, UDC, HC, exploded.

The roof of the stable was damaged and the door was blown away, and other minor injuries were caused to the premises. The stable is one of a series of such buildings in which Mr. McDonogh’s breed mares and other racing stock are kept, but fortunately none of the animals were housed in the premises at the time.

Galway Gardaí are pursuing inquiries and developments are expected in the course of a day or two.

Hard labourTwo months with hard labour was the sentence imposed at Killimor Court on a boy from Killeen, Tynagh, who was stated to be the leader of a gang of other boys who held up younger boys on St. Stephen’s Day and robbed them of 6s. which they had collected while out in the village as ‘wren boys’.

Supt. Delaney, Loughrea, said there was no redeeming feature in the boy’s case. He was the leader of three other boys, who waylaid two younger boys who were coming along the road as ‘mummers’.

One of the three boys, in a statement, said that the defendant held up the boys and took whatever money they had collected from their pockets, believed to be about 6s. in all.

Pitch negotiationsNegotiations are proceeding between the Tuam GAA Club and the Tuam Race Company for the purchase of about five acres of the racecourse as a Gaelic field. It is understood that the outstanding issue is the price. The GAA Club has offered £500, and the company are claiming more.

There is an alternative field in the offing on the Bishop Street-Dunmore Road, but no decision has been definitely come to yet. It is practically certain, however, that a full-sized field with ample accommodation for big game spectators will be provided in Tuam this year.