Search Results for 'Army'

There is something nice about downtime. When you can throw off your work clothes, slip into your comfiest gear and lounge around the house secure in the knowledge that nobody will be calling, when effectively you're in for the night. Galway is a city that is built on downtime — its streets and clubs and restaurants and hotels are all based on soothing those who are on downtime, who come in search of it, to have their weary heads nursed back to an equilibrium of calm and resilience.

On December 7 1922, Pádraic Ó Máille TD and his friend Sean Hales TD of Cork, walked out of a hotel on Ormonde Quay, by Dublin’s river Liffy. They just had lunch, and were on their way back to the Dáil in Leinster House, a short drive away. Ó Máille, Galway city and Connemara’s first TD, had been appointed Leas Ceann Comhairle (deputy speaker). As they reached their car a gunman stepped forward and opened fire. Both men were hit, but Hales was bleeding profusely. Although seriously injured Ó Máille managed to get Hales into the car and drove to the nearest hospital, where he collapsed, and died.

After an initial welcome to New York, where Mellows was feted as a hero of the Rising, it all went sour. Despite warnings from the influential Clan na Gael to tone his rhetoric down, Mellows continued his war against Britain. He was kicked out of Clan na Gael by its leaders, the veteran Fenian John Devoy, and the ambitious Judge Cohalan, when he publicly campaigned against Irish Americans joining the army, to fight with Britain and her allies on the battlefields of France at the climax of World War I. This totally opposed the efforts of Clan na Gael not to isolate itself from mainstream American politics.

To coincide with the 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day, marking the end of World War One, Moate Action Group’s Heritage Committee recently published a small book commemorating those soldiers from the locality and nearby parishes, who joined the British Army for wartime service.

Fianna Fáil Councillor, Aengus O’Rourke has reiterated his stance of support for the Defence Forces members at Custume Barracks as they depart for a tour of duty in Syria, reinforcing his message to the Government to adequately remunerate serving soldiers in reflection of their current role in our communities.

I’m sure so many of you looked at the Dublin versus Kerry replay on Saturday evening. I was hugely disappointed, as were so many other people. But well done to Dublin; you have to acknowledge that they were good.

Shortly after dawn on Saturday, September 16 1944, Michael Conneely, a bachelor of 55 years, was asleep in his cottage at Ailleabreach, Ballyconneely, when loud banging on his door woke him. He shouted ‘who’s there?’ The storm of the previous two days had abated but he couldn’t make out what the voice said. Grabbing a pitchfork, he slowly opened to door. Outside were two men, wet to the skin, in deep distress. Michael put the pitchfork to the throat of the first man: “Who are you?”

Over the last six weeks the team of sales agents and marketers in O’Donnellan & Joyce auctioneers have been busy compiling information and generating adverts for the 62 lots that they will offer for sale by means of live public auction tomorrow at 12 noon in the Harbour Hotel in Galway city.

O’Donnellan & Joyce has agents all over the country both this week and next conducting open viewings on a list of more than 50 properties for sale in its Wild Atlantic midsummer auction on Friday July 19. The auction will commence at 12 noon sharp in The Harbour Hotel, New Dock Road, Galway, with registration open from 11am.

RONAN FAGAN