March 24, 2010

Burglar enjoys himselfBefore Mr. Justice Wright at Galway Assizes, Francis Goodwin pleaded guilty to the charge of having broken into the house of Capt. The Hon. J.B. Campbell, at Moycullen.

During Mr. Campbell’s absence, the house was in charge of a Mrs Morrison who visited occasionally to see that all was right.

On the 26th of February when approaching the house, she noticed several windows broken and on entering the house found a man of the tramp class dressed in a suit of coachman’s livery, and seated in a large armchair, before a very cheerful fire in the servants’ dining room.

Asked what he was doing there, he replied that he came in to warm himself and he intended to stay there till the weather got fine. Mrs Morrison having locked her prisoner in, sent her son, a boy of 12, to the nearest house for a man named Feeney, whom she left in charge, proceeding to the police barrack.

Mr Abbott, steward of the Home Farm, Moycullen, next arrived, and the prisoner was brought to the barrack. On the following Monday, Goodwin was conveyed in Oughterard to answer another charge of house-breaking in Connemara previous to this. Gallagher was sentenced to three months with hard labour.

St Patrick’s Day ParadeThe National Holiday was celebrated with fitting solemnity in Galway. The day was observed as a general holiday. Business in the shops was suspended and from an early hour, crowds of country people thronged the streets. In all the churches, the various masses were attended by large congregations, and in most of them, sermons were preached in Irish. The arrival of the early morning train from Dublin brought added numbers from Tuam, Athenry, and the surrounding districts.

The annual procession through the streets was the event most anxiously looked forward to, and this year it eclipsed all the processions that have gone before.

At about twelve o’clock, the citizens and visitors congregated in the direction of the Square, which was to be the starting point of the procession.

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Building schemesSome grumbling is heard in Tuam about unemployment, but if every town in the Saorstat had less cause for complaint in this respect, the outlook would indeed be bright. The schemes coming into operation in Tuam within the next few months include the building of ninety houses, the contract for which has been given and sanctioned by the Local Government Department, and work will start within the next week or two.

This contract, costing £26,000, will be followed by another of an additional ninety houses. On the same site, a technical school is to be built.

Then the first section of a sewerage scheme, costing entirely £20,000, will be laid this year on the Dublin road, to be followed by other sections in Ballygaddy road, Galway road and Bishop Street. A new cement road will be laid this year from the town to the Beet Factory at a cost of £12,000, and in addition to this, there will be improvement work begun at the factory within the next week or two, to be followed by a sugar campaigning period of four or five months, during which time 1,000 to 1,200 men will be employed.

Town TenantsGood progress has been made in the organisation of the Ballinasloe Town Tenants’ Association. A large number of tenants and householders have been enrolled.

The committee of the branch visited Castlerea last week, where there was a meeting of the Connacht Executive Council. At that meeting, Mr Michael Keane, secretary of the Ballinasloe branch and district, and as organiser for the branch in the district.

The tenants in the town have taken up the matter very enthusiastically and seriously – there are now over 200 members.

Anglers’ prospectsAnglers on Lough Corrib have had a good time during March and great prospects are held out for the coming season. On March 6, eight anglers on the lake from Oughterard got 41 trout weighing 55lbs; on March 7, six others got 29 trout, weighing 42lbs; on March 8 five anglers got 27 trout weighing 36lbs; on March 9 six anglers got 38 trout weighing 46lbs; and on March 12 four anglers got 10 trout weighing 15lbs.

The weather throughout the month was particularly harsh and unsuitable for fishing. Experienced judges say that when the season advances, the Corrib is in for another record year. Bookings in the hotels would seem to show that this is true.

Corinthians beatenClose on 2,000 spectators were present in the Sportsground, Galway on Sunday to see University College Galway take the Connacht Senior Cup off Corinthians, who were the holders for the past two seasons.

Corinthians did not look like winning at any period of the game, and although they more than held their own forward, they were completely outclassed in the back division. It finished UCG 19 to Corinthians 6 points.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.