May 6, 2010

Workhouse whiskeyThe Board of Guardians of Loughrea Union will, at their meeting to be held on Saturday, the 14th day of May, 1910, receive and consider tenders for the supply from that day to the 31st March, 1911, of 7-year old whiskey in quarter casks, delivered free at the Workhouse. The whiskey must be supplied at full strength as taken out of bond, and parties tendering must state in the tender the strength, where bonded, and name of distiller. By order, J. Conway, Clerk of the Union.

Cowardly assaultIndignation is a mild term for the public feeling that has been manifested in Loughrea at the cowardly and murderous assault which has been committed by some members of the R.I.C. on two inoffensive young men, brothers, at Cross Street on the night of the 23rd ult., as a result of which they are still in hospital, and the Medical Officer cannot certify them to be out of danger.

Their names are John and Martin Kelly, and the saddest part of the affair is that Martin was after burying his young wife, to whom he was married only a few months, just the day before the occurrence.

It appears that on the night in question, the boys went down the town to pay the bill in connection with the funeral, and worried with the recent trouble, they had perhaps a drop too much, and coming home, they were spotted by a couple of members of the “superior” kind of police that we have now got in Loughrea, who thought they had materials for “a case”, and shadowed the boys to their home.

They hung around the door for some time, which it seems one of the young men resented and went out to know what they wanted, whereupon the row began, the police using their batons with such vigour as will account for the men’s detention in hospital for some time to come.

1935

Bee-keepersMuch interest has been aroused by the comments in last week’s Connacht Tribune about the bee-keeping industry in Connemara. From further enquiries, which our Connemara correspondent has pursued in various parts of the country, it would appear that the prospects for a honey market this year will be remarkably good. 

Sea monsterFisherman fishing in Galway Bay on Wednesday found a sea monster which they killed and landed on an island at the mouth of the Bay. The monster is alleged to be 40 feet in length. This (Friday) morning, the “Connacht Tribune” special correspondent has gone to see the strange sea denizen.

 Graveyard conditionMost Rev. Dr. Dignan, Bishop of Clonfert expressed disappointment at the condition of the graveyards at Kilrickle and Killagh and said he had been exhorting the people to clean these graveyards since 1926, but was dissatisfied with the way these graveyards were kept.

 Tuam factory?We understand that there are bright prospects of having a hosiery factory opened in Tuam within the present year. The leading Tuam drapers are taking an interest in the matter and negotiations have already taken place between them and other interested parties. Nothing definite has yet been decided on, but it is learned that a suitable site is likely to be obtained on the Dublin Road, Tuam.It is suggested that the big demand for hosiery of home manufacture cannot be satisfied by the existing factories. Girls would be mostly employed in the factory, which would at the beginning give employment to about thirty hands.

Busy NovenaThere was an enormous attendance during the past week at the annual Augustinian Novena to Our Lady of Good Counsel, which concluded on Tuesday with Rosary, sermon on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings. On the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel, there was Solemn High Mass at 11 o’clock. The novena was marked by inspiring scenes of devotion, the huge congregation overflowing onto the steps of the church on several occasions.

The altars were beautifully embowered in flowers, and the lovely altar to Our Lady of Good Counsel made special appeal with its many bright lamps and glimmering candles.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.