Pages Past: Advert for nurses was ageist, sexist, sizeist

Westmeath Examiner, July 23, 1955

Masters of Art!

A number of young artists from the north Westmeath area were successful in the National Art Competition. In class 5, for children under 14, Master Eamon Gorman, Coole, secured first prize; in class 1, for children under 8, Master Richard May was awarded a second prize, and in class 3, for children under 12, Anne Buckley, Streete, secured a similar award.

Master Gorman featured also among the prizewinners in the ‘Keep it quiet’ All-Ireland competition sponsored by Havoline.

All the children were pupils of Mrs May’s School of Art.

The news brief revealed that the successful works were to be exhibited during Horse Show Week.

Westmeath Examiner, July 28, 1945

Advert for nurses was ageist, sexist, sizeist

An advert which would break countless numbers of recruitment laws today, seeking “female nurses” for what is now St Loman’s Hospital was printed in the edition of July 28, 1945. Candidates had to have attained the age of 18 years and at time of appointment be under 26. They also had to be “not less than 5 foot 4 inches in height (without shoes)”.

Applicants had to accompany their applications with a birth certificate and a certificate from the principal of the national school which the candidate attended, to the effect that she passed the seventh standard.

“The conditions regarding height age and education will be rigidly adhered to and it is useless for candidates who do not fulfil the required conditions to put themselves to the trouble and expense of attending for examination,” the advert continued, concluding with the condition that applicants be residents of at least four years, of the counties of Westmeath, Meath and Longford.

Westmeath Examiner, July 27, 1935

Hockey Club’s Derravaragh picnic

“A very enjoyable picnic, under the auspices of the Mullingar Hockey Club was held on the shores of Derravaragh Lake on Sunday last, when over 100 attended,” an item carried in July 1935 revealed.

“The annual event, organised as it is, with splendid foresight, has come to acknowledged as one of the most enjoyable of the year in Mullingar.

“Although there was but little sun and one or two light showers, the picnic was a success from every viewpoint.

“In the afternoon, an impromptu hockey match was held and the evening concluded with a dance at Crookedwood.”

Westmeath Examiner, July 25, 1925

Farmer living as ‘caveman’ near Moate

What was described as “an extraordinary story” emerged at Moate district court, where the attendance heard how a small farmer preferred to live the existence of a caveman to living at his own home, where he had a wife “and the amenities which a small holding of land in Westmeath offers”.

The man, who was prosecuted under the Vagrancy Act, was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment by Mr Lavery, DJ.

Garda Russell told of arresting the man at 7.30am in a cave in Killashonna, where he had been living for some time past.

“Not so far away, his wife resided, but she knew nothing of his whereabouts since he had taken to this primitive form of existence.”

Superintendent Hunt stated that there had been a good deal of pilfering form farmers’ homes in the district of late, and people were afraid to leave their homes to go visiting in consequence.

“Food especially was being stolen with persistency,” the report continued, stating that the gardaí had had the “caveman” under observation for a considerable time.

Westmeath Examiner, July 24, 1915

Woman donated cost of hospital ward

At a meeting of the Mullingar Board of Guardians, a letter from Mr NJ Downes, solicitor, revealed the magnanimous nature of the will left by a deceased lady, Miss Maria Murray.

Ms Murray’s will read: “I direct my executors to expend one thousand five hundred pounds in erecting a new ward, or improving a ward in the Union District Hospital, Mullingar, and in providing bed and other accommodation therein for the benefit of the poor of the town of Mullingar who are sick, but on condition that the said ward be called the ‘Murray Ward’ in honour of my parents, Daniel and Bridget Murray, and their family, and that a tablet to that effect be erected and maintained in said ward.”

Mr Downes’s letter informed the meeting that the executors of the will were Messrs James Tuite, JP and William Berry, who were keen that a committee be appointed to confer as to the best means of carrying out the intentions of Ms Murray.

Westmeath Examiner, July 22, 1905

Water wars

Pleas to have water pumps provided in Tyrrellspass area were made of the Mullingar Rural District Council – but strangely, one set of residents effectively attempted to pull the rug from under the feet if the other. The first request was submitted in the name of Mr Eighan, seeking to have a pump sunk at Raheenquill. The motion stated that there were nine families in all without the use of spring water for five months of the year, and it was signed: W Doyle, W Pilkington, P Gavigan, A Fisher, Tyrrellspass; J Hynes, do; J Battle, C Jordan, M Killian, J Hogan, J Keating, Margaret Caddell, Catherine Dunne, Bridget Gavigan, W Rourke, C Pigott, M Morgan, B Flanagan, J Clavin, T Cole, O Kilmurray, F Downes, W Roche, Elizabeth Duignan, T Kenny, Anne Rigney, T Maguire, P Rourke, J Carey, C Whelehan, Anne Heavy, W Payne, P Neil, B Kenny, J Eighan, J Glynn, M Leogue, P Bradley, T Kelly, J Carey, T Coffey, T Campbell, Bridget Whelehan and J Eighan.

The second request related to the Gneevebawn area: “We are over a mile away from water,” the request explained.

It then went on to throw cold water over the first request: “We heard that the inhabitants of Raheenquill are trying to get a pump sunk there, which is unnecessary as there are plenty of wells very near them and of first-rate quality. We on the other hand have to go to the Tyrrellspass pumps and Newcastle well, which is a great loss of time and inconvenience.

“We also understand that the pump presently at Gneevebawn is now quite dry and useless, as there is no water in it, and the water got out of it lately was very bad.”

This motion was signed by R Coffey, Gneevebawn Lodge, Margaret Lestrange, Gneevebawn House; R Horton, do; Patrick Coleman, do; Margaret Caddell, do; Catherine Keating, do; J Langan, Newcastle; J Leech, do; J Langan, Newcastle; J Leech, do; A Caddell, Gneevebawn, J Daly, Ballykilmore and J Hogan, do.

Westmeath Examiner, July 27, 1895

Hospital ‘for a better class of people’

A report on the management of the fever hospital in Mullingar, had been prepared by the committee appointed to look into the issue for the Mullingar Board of Guardians.

In their report, the committee stated that they had visited the hospital “and carefully looked into the matter”.

As a result of their visit, he said, they, were of the opinion that the institution had been “turned into a kind of special hospital for a better class of people than are in the other workhouse hospitals”.

His letter stated that it was for the guardians to consider whether there was a necessity for this, taking into consideration that there was “a very good county infirmary for that class”. The committee’s letter drew the guardians’ attention to the case of one man who had been in the fever hospital for the previous two years. The man was, it transpired, the father of the workhouse laundress, and thus also, father-in-law of the porter.

“His daughter, on being questioned, informed us that she had insured his life for £50, so we conclude she means to ultimately recoup the ratepayers,” the letter stated. It continued by stating that the committee had met Dr Kelly at the fever hospital: “He seemed much displeased at us asking questions of the inmates, which we much regret as we thought in doing so we were carrying out the instructions of your board.”

Westmeath Examiner, July 25, 1885

Flagging the danger of prosecution

Mullingar Town Commissioners were under serious pressure in July 1885: in fact, they were facing the threat of prosecution if they did not get a flagstone finish provided at Austin Friars Street by August 1.

Due to the threat, the commissioners held a special meeting on July 20, attended by Mr Tuite (in the chair),

Dr Kerrigan and Messrs Wickham, Dowdall, English, Bray, Nulty and H Rogers.

At the meeting, a letter was read from the office of the county surveyor giving the commissioners notice that he had been instructed by the grand jury that in the event of their not having the footpath from Priestwell Lane to the Dublin Bridge finished, he was to institute proceedings against them for non-performance of their contract.

The report stated that after a “very lengthened discussion” in which the contractor supplying the flags was before the board and stated that “he could not – or to be more correct would not” supply flags such as were required by the terms of the project, it was resolved to instruct the commissioners’ solicitor to write to the contractor’s sureties. It was also resolved to wait on the county surveyor, and the members adjourned until the Friday of that week.