October 18, 2012

1912

Portumna racesAt the Dublin City Sessions, before the Recorder, the Great Southern and Western Railway Company were sued by Messrs. Black and Callaghan, to recover damages for breach of contract with respect to the carriage of three racehorses from Geashill to Clara on Whit Monday en route for Portumna races. It appears the three horses ran on that date at Geashill meeting, and were entered to run the following day at Portumna, but were unable to fulfil the latter engagement as the defendant company refused to convey them back that evening to Clara owing to heavy traffic.

Evidence was given for the complainants that they offered to pay the full amount demanded for the conveyance back of the horses.

For the defence, the station master at Geashill (Mr. Kennelick) stated that he received a telegram from the manager directing him not to take any animals back that evening, and that the train had reached the platform when the offer had been made on behalf of the plaintiffs. 

It was stated that there was reasonable expectations that the horses which were called ‘Skirt’, ‘Simple Paddy’ and ‘Escape’, would win at Portumna.

The Recorder held that there was a breach of contract, and have a decree for 1s. damages and 6s witness’s expenses, pointing out that there was no evidence of any actual loss by the plaintiffs.

1937

School delayThe delay in the erection of the new school at Portumna was the subject of a complaint at the monthly meeting of the County Galway Vocational Education Committee. The chief executive officer and secretary (Sean Ó Dochartaigh) said that some time ago, the Committee accepted the tender of Messrs. Geraghty Brothers of Moylough, to erect a vocational school at Portumna for £4,300 odd, but the Department of Education refused to sanction the expenditure of such a large sum of money on one school, and requested that the bills of quantities be cut down.

Youngest bishopMost Rev. Dr. Michael F. Browne, who was consecrated Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora on Sunday, is the youngest Bishop of the youngest See in Ireland, which extends into two ecclesiastical provinces and three counties.

This distinguished Maynooth Professor and brilliant Westport man will have jurisdiction over portion of his native county – viz., the detached parish of Shrule (Mayo), which was originally in the diocese of Annaghdown, the greater part of which is now merged in the Archdiocese of Tuam).

There was a very large crowd gathered in and around the County Buildings, Galway, when Most Rev. Dr. Browne arrived at 1.30 o’clock to receive addresses of welcome and loyalty from public bodies, teaching bodies, the clergy of the united dioceses, and the Galway branch of the Gaelic League.

When His Lordship arrived he was greeted by a great outburst of cheering, and His Lordship, as he passed through a guard of honour of Girl Guides, acknowledged the ovation by imparting his blessing.

Battle with pikeWhilst on holiday at Flood’s Hotel, Pettigo, Mr. and Miss Gahan, of Dublin, had an exciting finish to a day’s fishing on Lough Derg. Having captured twenty trout, Miss Gahan was reeling in another fish when she experienced a tug which emptied the entire line off her reel. Then began a thrilling battle between the angler and an unseen challenger.

After thirty-five minutes an enormous pike broke the waters at the line’s end. On being gaffed by the boatman and hauled into the boat, the circumstances of its capture revealed itself, for protruding from the pike’s moth was the tail of a 1 lb trout. On being weighed, the pike turned the scales at 18 lbs.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.