1912

Races week
Race week in Galway, with the exception of the shocking murder at Newcastle and the fatal accident on the Railway line at Renmore, was a particularly quiet one.

Wednesday night was probably the quietest first night of the races ever experienced in Galway, probably due to the regrettable fact that a number of the favourites came croppers during the day.

A matter that also tended to the peace of the city was the extra supervision and regulation of traffic by the police.

Brutal murder
Race week in Galway has been darkened by the discovery of what appears to be a most callous and brutal crime; of a character happily rare in the annals of Ireland. Shortly before one o’clock yesterday, there was discovered lying in a field at Newcastle, at the back of the Galway Workhouse, the dead body of a woman.

The woman appeared to be between 40 and 45 years of age. Her hair is slightly tinged with grey. Her clothes were very much dishevelled, while her body was mutilated.

Everything pointed to a desperate struggle, and it is suggested that either robbery or outrage may have been the motive of the crime. Her dress was almost torn off her, portion of it being in shreds, while a fur boa that she was wearing around her neck was cut in two.

The body still lies where it was found.

1937

Taxi fare
Is ten shillings an exorbitant charge for a motor from Galway Docks to Salthill with a party of four at five o’clock in the morning?

That such a charge was made was a complaint contained in a letter from Mrs. Emerson, of the Eglington Hotel, Salthill, read at a meeting of the Galway Harbour Commissioners on Monday.

The secretary, Mr. J. S. Campbell, told the meeting that he had sent copies of the letter to the Irish Tourist Association and to Seamus de Bhilmot, town clerk and secretary of the Galway branch of the I.T.A – The commissioners present expressed the view that where proof was forthcoming of exorbitant charges being made, the car owners concerned should not be allowed to the docks.

In vain
A wife of a farmer of Whitegate, on the border of Clare and Galway; who claimed to be a cousin of a man who died in Sydney in June 1913, and whose estate is now worth £45,000 has had her clain disallowed.

Mr. W. A. Parker, the Sydney Master-in-Equity, has declared in favour of the New South Wales Public Trustee, who submitted that the claims were not proved.

1962

Patients visit shrine
On Friday, patients from Merlin Park Sanatorium will, through the kindness of an anonymous Belgian lady and the rehabilitation Institution of Ireland, travel on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Banneux in Belgium.

There they will spend five days in the care of the Shrine Society, returning home on August 16th.

Banneux lies a few miles south east of Leige. In 1933 Our Lady appeared on eight occasions to Mariette Beco, one of a family of seven children.

Donkey derby
No speed records were set at the annual Donkey Derby in Pearse Stadium, Salthill, Galway on Sunday but the large attendance did get value for their money.

Like the Lough Atalia Development Association, the sponsors of the event, the Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Pearse Stadium Committee, proved that the public will support any kind of novelty performance properly presented.

In the old days this event was known as the asses race and on Monday this was very true because the real stars of the performance were the asses. They were not interested in rules or regulations and competition just didn’t concern them. In fact, they gave the impression of being bored stiff by the whole affair. When the starter’s gun went off they wouldn’t start and more often than not when they did start they went in the wrong direction.

1987

Bus strike
An estimated 7,500 Galway commuters are without city and provincial bus services for a third day in a row, as a result of a dispute between bus drivers and C.I.E management over the operation of larger capacity driver only single deck buses.

Pickets were mounted and Ceannt Station yesterday morning which halted the seven city bus routes to Ballybane, Rahoon, Salthill, Castlepark, Lisbeg Lawn, Merlin Park and Renmore. Provincial services to Carraroe, Clifden, Eyrecourt, Lisdoonvara and Mountbellew were also affected.

High temperatures
MET Office figures for July show that temperatures were above normal and rainfall significantly below normal in Galway.

After the washouts of the last two summers, rainfall was 30% below normal for July in the Galway region but parts of the South-East received only a quarter of the usual inches of rain for July.

Temperatures for the first time in two years were above average with the weekend of July 4/5 proving the driest and hottest so far this year.