November 20, 2009

An extraordinary attack was made on the house of Mr. Berty Powell, assistant county surveyor, in Athenry last Friday night, About midnight loud knocking was heard at the front door and this was followed by kicking at the door and a man put his foot through the door and broke glass in the panels. The windows on the ground floor were then broken – nine panes in four or five windows having been smashed.The following morning, an Athenry man was taken before Mr. Stephen Ruane P.C. at a special court and charged in connection with the attack.

Paths problemsThe residents of Mountbellew are about to petition the County Council to have the paths of the town repaired. Since the opening of the roads for the laying of pipes in connection with the sewerage schemes, the paths in some places have fallen under the road level and in wet weather, the water remains on the surface. The path leading to the Church, Convent and Monastery is also in very bad repair.

Slums menaceThe relationship between housing and public health was stressed at a recent meeting of the County Galway Board of Health when the insanitary conditions in Ballinasloe were put forward as the main grounds for sustaining a petition by the people of Ballinasloe for a district hospital in the town.It was stated that doctors were often called to see patients living in conditions in which even the most elementary principles of hygiene or comfort were absent. About £13,000 was due by patients for treatment at the Galway Central Hospital.

No small portion of that was due by patients who could have been treated in their own homes if the surroundings were such as to enable the doctors to work effectually.

Fire tragedyAs a result of falling into a fire while her mother was fetching water from a barrel outside the door, a three year old from Derrygimla, Clifden, received burns which resulted in her tragic death at Galway Central Hospital. Dr. Casey, Clifden, who was sent for, came at once, and having done all he could ordered the child to be sent to Galway to hospital where she died shortly after admittance.

1959

Sheep invasion from the NorthThe cattle invasion from over the Border has greatly diminished, but the invasion of sheep and lambs had markedly increased, especially since the sheep and lamb prices slumped in the North and Britain.Victuallers are feeling the effects in loss of trade. Lambs imported from the North have particularly depressed trade in the West, where dressed lamb is being offered at prices so low that one would have to go back many years to find a parallel.

Urgent needsTo meet the increasing demand for a water and sewerage scheme to serve the urban area of Ballinasloe, both of which were urgent, would cost £68,000, the Council was told by their engineer. This would mean an additional 2/11 in the £ on the rates – this year 47/9 in the £. In detailing the need for an extension to the water plant, Mr O’Connor, Town Engineer, said it was urgent. In the past eight years, demand for water went up 40 per cent.

Free housesTenants on the Scanlon Estate, Dunlo Hill, Ballinasloe, are anxious to purchase their houses from the trustees of the state, and are negotiating to do so. These seven houses were offered ‘free’ to the local Council by the owner, a Miss Scanlon, at present in the U.S.A., but the Urban Council refused to accept the offer.

Pub talkHow men in a public house at Ballymore put Fianna Fáil in and out of office and then did the same with Fine Gael with the result that the time passed until the Gardaí ‘caught’ them, was told the District Justice Loftus at Williamstown Court, when a Ballymoe publican was summonsed for a breach of the licensing laws at 1.40am on 16th June last. 

Defence said it was the night of the Presidential Election and the men began discussing politics and put Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael into and out of office. In fact, the breach might be said to be caused by the Government having too many elections.

Shanty townsReferring to “misunderstandings” with regard to recent statements made at Galway Chamber of Commerce in connection with “shanty towns” around Galway City, Mr. J. Lydon, president, said that he wished to make it clear that the members only wanted to control “unsightliness”, and that all types of holidaymakers were welcome to the city.

1984

Car tax strike over potholesA ‘golden’ half-mile of road between Galway and Moycullen on which £500,000 has been spent over five years has sparked off a car tax strike threat from angry motorists.For though half a million pounds has been spent by Galway County Council, the stretch is known among motorists as ‘the corrugated road’ because it is unfinished and potholed.Frequent users of the road have reacted by threatening to withhold road tax payments.

Residents’ fearsPeople living in Corrib Park in the city have threatened to block a newly-built roundabout near their estate to prevent it being brought into use in a row over the safety of their children.They plan to form a human chain on the roadway to prevent traffic from using the partially-completed roundabout, built as part of the approach network to the new bridge planned to cross the Corrib between Newcastle and Terryland.

Bus attacksCIE may withdraw its bus service at night from a number of Galway City estates following a series of incidents in which drivers have been attacked and windscreens smashed by stone-throwing youths. There have been at least four incidents over the past six months in which buses travelling through Inishannagh Park have been attacked with stones, while there have been numerous incidents in which the drivers of the one-man buses have been abused.

New trainsThe most recent and up-to-date CIE train, the Inter-City Mark III, has passed its first week in operation – running from Galway to Dublin four times a week – with flying colours.It is now faster to travel to Dublin by Inter-City than it ever was before. The Mark III is capable of doing a maximum speed of 95 miles per hour, compared to 72mph on the older trains. However, it is at present impossible for the Mark III to do its maximum speed as the track running between Galway and Dublin would not be capable of holding it.

Signpost pleaA demand has been made for proper signposting and safety measures at unprotected piers in Connemara – it came following the deaths of three brothers who drowned when they lost their way in dense fog and their car plunged into the sea at Caladh Thadhg.