1912

Alleged land grabbing
Sir, Under the above heading a paragraph appears in last week’s issue, and as I am the person referred to, I beg briefly to reply. The small patch of one acre in question is abused by the well-known supporters of Clanricarde fame to try and screen themselves behind the United Irish League, but before going into a prolonged controversy, I am now as willing as before to submit a full statement of the whole case to a duly appointed convention of the United Irish League, and I will then explain the whole circumstances, and the public can judge for themselves, and they will see that those who are now trying to malign me are the concentrated essence of grabberism.
Patk. Kelly, Meelick, Jan 31, 1912.

Sergeant fired on
A strange occurrence took place in the Cloonboo district near Annaghdown, about seven miles from Galway last Thursday evening. Whilst Sergt. O’Driscoll, who is in charge of the Cloonboo R.I.C. station, was on patrol a shot was fired from behind a wall, and four or five of the pellets, it is stated, lodged in the sergeant’s hip. Fortunately, the wound was not serious, and it is understood that the pellets have since been extracted.

The shooting can have no connection whatever with anything agrarian, and its cause is not clear, and one reason out forward is that the sergeant has become unpopular in the district owing to a number of prosecutions he has recently undertaken. It is probable that no serious injury was intended, as the shot was fired from behind a wall at close range.

1937

Thrilling rescue
Gerard Burke, Ballinasloe, was the hero of a thrilling rescue of a woman and child at Ballinasloe railway station last week.
Standing on the edge of the platform with a child in her arms and with her foot on the running plate of the train as it moved out, the woman and child would have slipped between the train and the platform were it not for the prompt action of the guard.

Seeing the inevitable consequences, he rushed and grabbed the woman with her child and pulled them out of danger just in the nick of time, as the train began to move and gather speed. Many of those on the platform at the time who witnessed the affair paid a tribute to the promptness and perception of the guard on the occasion.

Tuam unemployment
There is a good deal of unemployment in Tuam now following the completion of the sugar campaign.

The Town Commissioners have made representations to the County Council to speed up the completion of section one of the sewerage scheme upon which, the chair of the Board stated, a small number of men were employed and the work could be completed much quicker by employing more men.

The County Council were also asked to proceed with section two of the scheme and this give much needed employment as well as completing the sewerage so urgently needed with the least possible delay.

More employment will be provided by the clearance scheme, which provides for the erection of 101 new houses at Cloonthue Road and Galway Road.

This scheme, which was adopted by the commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday evening, provided for the cutting and making of a road across from Galway Road to Cloonthue Road.

The houses will be built on each side of this road in terraces of four and six houses.
 

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.