March 10, 2011

1911

House destroyedOn Saturday evening a house belonging to Mr. Fred Barry, of Bridge St., Gort, situated on his farm at Newtown, was burned to the ground. It appears Mr. Barry was going down to his farm when he saw the house, which had been lately repaired, burning. He came back to Gort and was informed the police were promptly on the scene, but nothing could be done to save the house.

He has not been on good terms with his neighbours for some time past on account of his holding over the farm at Newtown, the walls of which have been repeatedly knocked.

Tramp’s childAt Portumna Petty Sessions, the Head Constable made an application to have a child committed to an Industrial School. He found the child with the mother who was drunk. The mother got a month and was still in jail and the child was sent to the work house. He was under seven years of age.

The mother was convicted at the Killimore Petty Sessions for larceny about two years ago and sentenced to a month in Galway jail. She lived the life of a tramp, going through the country with a man who denied that he was married to the woman or that he was the father of her child. They had lived together for seven years. This child was born in Mountjoy prison on 9th November, 1905. An order was made committing the child to a house of charity.

1936

Hospital infestation“Ballinasloe Mental Hospital is infested with rats. There are thousands of them in the sewers and in refuse heaps all round the place, and they are crawling on the patients’ faces in their beds during the night. It is very serious, and we should take immediate steps to banish them from the place.”

The statement was made by Dr. A. English, assistant R.M.S. at the meeting of the Committee of Management, in her report.

Dr. English said the “Rattin” Co. had submitted a price – 26 guineas – to clear the place of the pests, and have guaranteed to keep the place clear. As the place is so badly infested, she asked the Committee to consider the offer. She added that the rats were doing a good deal of damage on the stores and other departments of the infestation and were wasting a lot of foodstuffs and materials.

“We are very badly overrun with them, and it is very desirable in the interests and health of the patients and the institution that they be banished,” she concluded.

Red-haired bagpiperRed hair and a love for the bagpipes are stipulations by an Irish bachelor, who has asked the Premier of Nova Scotia to find him a Gaelic-speaking bride. The Irishman – with “substantial cash” – lives in New York, and does not want any dowry with his bride.

Near deathA child named Jospeh Ward, aged nine years, son of Patrick and Mrs. Ward, the Square, Ballygar, had an almost miraculous escape from death on Tuesday afternoon. It appears that some person removed the lid from the manhole at the Square and the child was playing and fell down the pump shaft, which is over 30 feet deep.

Town HallA public meeting has been called in Tuam for this (Friday) evening, 13th inst., to consider the advisability of forming a company with the object of erecting a hall for all social purposes in the town. As the Town Hall is not available for public meetings, functions, etc., it is found necessary to have a new hall built and the public are asked to support the project, which is confidently expected to provide a sound investment.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.