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Westmeath Examiner May 6 1916

Scathing verdict on Easter Rising

The writer of the editorial comment in the Westmeath Examiner of May 6 1916 was scathing in his verdict on the Easter Rising, which had just taken place.

“Seven days of anguish and suffering of destruction, desolation and death,” he began.

“In those days which comprised the last week of April began and ended a revolution in the capital of Ireland. Without the approval and without the knowledge of the Irish people a few men proclaimed an Irish Republic and with the assistance of the Sinn Féin volunteers and the Larkinite citizen army which had been called out for an Easter Monday parade they entrenched themselves in strong positions from all of which they emerged before the conclusion of seven days to surrender to the forces that had been brought against them.”

Describing it as “a short revolution”, he stated that the “career” of the Irish Republic had been brief.

“President Pearse was not long enough in his position to enable the Irish people to become acquainted even with his name. If it had not been for the horrors which accompanied the event and the consequences which came and will endure for generations the whole thing would be a comedy of the first description. It is filled with absurdities and nothing saves it from being submerged in ridicule but the awful tragedy into which it was turned.”

Continuing, the writer stated that for more than a week the Irish capital had been isolated from the world and it had also been cut off from the rest of Ireland. Trade and traffic throughout the whole of Ireland were suspended. Railway, telegraphic and postal communication did not exist.

It was known that the city of Dublin was the scene of horrors unknown now to our people for some generations. the writer said, adding that the affair had resulted in the loss of hundreds or perhaps thousands of lives, many of them women and children, and the destruction of at least £2 million worth of property in shops and private houses “and the degradation and demoralisation of a large portion of the population”.

Westmeath Examiner May 1, 1926

Circus accident in Mullingar

A report was carried in the issue of the Westmeath Examiner of May 1, 1926, of an accident that occurred during the visit to town of Duffy’s Continental Circus, which was based at the Fair Green for the duration of its visit.

The report stated that during a performance, Mrs Brown, while performing her part in a remarkable heavyweight lifting competition, met with an accident through which she fractured the elbow of her right arm. “She was treated by Dr AJ Kearney, surgeon of the Westmeath County Infirmary, and whilst the injury to her is of a rather serious character, it is understood there is no danger to her life, and at present she is progressing favourably under treatment.”

The report concluded by stating that the regrettable accident had caused a painful sensation in the auditorium.

Westmeath Independent May 2 1936

Westmeath Champions

At the Midland Hotel, Mullingar the previous Sunday, Mr JJ Fenton, the deputy chief inspector of schools, presented medals to the members of the Westmeath team, winners of the Leinster Hurling League. Those who received medals were: D Leavy (capt), P Fahy, J Mulligan, T Nugent, T Quinn, F White, T Gavigan, P Lenihan, W Mulligan, P Boland, M McCarthy, E Moynihan, B McDonnell, T Morgan, T McNeice, E Smyth, P Monaghan, J Leonard, M Carr and A Geraghty.

Present for the ceremony were Capt P Cowan (Sec), and other officials and members of Westmeath County Board.

The report concluded by stating that in winning the League, Westmeath, who were graded junior in the championship, were successful against four senior counties – Offaly, Meath, Wexford and Kildare.

Westmeath Examiner May 4 1946

‘Save the Gaeltacht’

An article headed ‘Save the Gaeltacht’ in the May 4 1946 edition of the Westmeath Examiner, commented that the plight of the Irish-speaking districts was a sorry one.

“Day by day they are growing smaller as the English language takes possession and the native-speaking young men and women fly to Scotland and England in search of a living, taking with them the only chance of ever saving the Irish language,” the item read, going on to remind readers that in the time of Davis, Mitchell and O’Connell, the greater part of Ireland was Irish speaking.

However, it continued, the Gaeltacht had now shrunk “almost to the point of extinction”.

This the writer blamed on the Famine, the evictions, constant emigration, “and our own insincerity since we got a measure of freedom”.

Calling for a range of measures including mass employment schemes on drainage, reafforestation, and electrification in the Gaeltacht areas as well as the construction of halls, the writer stated that the districts in which native speakers live were among the most beautiful, as regards scenery.

“They are also the poorest and in winter, the most desolate and miserable parts of our country,” said the writer.

Westmeath Independent May 5 1956

Results of two by-elections

“The people of the country are at the moment in a bad mood,” was the opening line in the Westmeath Independent editorial comment of May 5 1956, which was reflecting on the results of two by-elections that had just taken place.

The verdict of the writer was that there was “a general air of dissatisfaction and uneasiness”.

“Prices have been soaring, taxation is also high, while rates have reached a new high level. In the course of the next few weeks ratepayers will receive demand notes which we know will cause shocks galore. The budget next week is expected to do likewise.”

The writer went on to state that on one hand the public were being told to save money and invest it in government securities, but the very people who were issuing such appeals – the members of the government – were making a poor attempt themselves to curb their expenditure.

“Local authorities are in the same boat; money is being spent in such a way that one would imagine that each council had a gold mine of its own. Instead the cash must all come from the pockets of the people who are now put to the pinch to meet their obligations.

The writer wondered if the by-election results would act as a warning signal to those in authority, and concluded only that “time will tell”.

Westmeath Examiner May 7 1966

Floods at Crookedwood

Devastating floods in the Mornington area of Crookedwood had prompted a deputation of around 40 people from that locality to attend a meeting of Westmeath County Council in the first week of May 1966. Their mission was to impress on the council the seriousness of their plight.

Unbelievably, the area had been flooded since the previous November.

“Members of the council heard of the Mornington and the Crookedwood/ Multyfarnham roads being impassable, or people having to carry bicycles on their shoulders across fields to get to their work, of detours adding 8 and 9 miles to journeys, of delivery vans refusing to visit the area and of 200 acres of land being flooded,” stated the writer, going on to report that the Mornington deputation was led by Very Rev J Holmes, PP Taughmon, Very Rev M McManus, PP Multyfarnham and Mr Daniel McCarthy. Accompanying them was their “chief spokesman”, Mr PJ Shaw from Mullingar.

The outcome of the visit of the residents to the meeting was that it was agreed to send a deputation comprising the local TDs and senator with the county engineer and chairman to the Office of Public Works the day after the meeting. This deputation was to be empowered to make an offer of a contribution towards having the flooding relieved with a view to having the situation dealt with immediately.

Westmeath Examiner May 1 1976

Condition of Lough Ennell

Of serious concern to all in the mid 1970s was the condition of Lough Ennell, which was deemed badly polluted.

The lead story in the edition of the Westmeath Examiner of May 1 1976 was a report of a meeting of the Federation of North Leinster Angling Club over the issue – and the message spelt out loud and clear at the meeting was that pollution on Lough Ennell could be controlled provided essential treatment – in this case the installation of a tertiary treatment plant – was put in place.

“In a highly informative and constructive talk, Mr Trevor Champ of the Inland Fisheries Trust told his audience, who included members of Westmeath County Council, that the proper control of one nutrient, namely phosphorous, entering the lake, could see Ennell restored to the fishery it was prior to 1971,” stated the item.

It went on to add that there had been criticism of the government research body An Foras Forbartha engaged by Westmeath County Council to examine Lough Ennell, for its failure to act three years earlier, when pollution “was just gripping” the lake.

Westmeath Examiner May 3 1986

Paid parking to be introduced

The revelation that paid parking was to be introduced in Mullingar by the end of the year formed the basis of the front page lead story in the edition of May 3 1986.

Over a picture of a group of Mullingar town traders protesting outside the county buildings over the proposed introduction of parking fees, the story stated that the purpose behind the move was to eradicate the serious traffic congestion in the town.

“The new system of disc parking which, initially, will be confined to the local authority-controlled car parks, will operate with the appointment of traffic wardens who will be responsible for the rigid enforcement of two-hour parking along the main streets of the town,” stated the item.

Continuing, the journalist who wrote the story revealed that all but one member of the county council had approved the measure at the previous Monday evening’s “protracted, and, at times stormy debate”.

More than 40 members of the business community packed the public gallery in the council chamber for the debate, and in the course of that debate, references were made to the intense pressure that had been applied to councillors by the traders who, over the previous few months, had expressed concern that a hurried introduction of paid parking could have a detrimental effect on the commercial life of the town.

Westmeath Examiner May 4 1996

New clubhouse for St Mary’s

The opening took place of the new playing area and clubhouse at St Mary’s GAA Club in Rochfortbridge.

At a cost of £100,000, the finished development comprised two playing pitches, a stand, a scoreboard, fencing, and the clubhouse, and the fundraising had been done by the GAA as well as by St Brigid’s Hurling Club and Rochfortbridge Ladies Football Club.

At the official opening ceremony, Eamon Duignan, chairman of the Park Development Committee, presided, and he and chairman PJ Bradley welcomed the attendance. Fr Eamonn O’Brien performed the official blessing, and Albert Fallon, a native of Rochfortbridge who had just completed three years as Leinster Council GAA chairman, officially declared the grounds open. Among the speakers were the Westmeath GAA chairman, Séamus Ó Faoláin, and the new Leinster Council chairman, Jim Berry of Wexford.

Bishop of Meath, Very Rev Dr Michael Smith, impressed with the development, stated that the level of support for everything in the parish was such that it was not surprising that this achievement had been accomplished.

Westmeath Examiner May 6 2006

Ringtown to Belarus

Two Ringtown men, Oliver Murtagh and Tom Davitt, were among the members of an international aid convoy which left this country to deliver aid to Belarus.

The two men were part of the Chernobyl Children’s Project that was bringing aid to help improve the lives of thousands of children in remote villages across Belarus, some of whose lives had been devastated by the nuclear accident that had occurred 20 years earlier at the Chernobyl power plant.

Oliver and Tom had set themselves the target of raising the €20,000 it cost to provide an ambulance for the area. In total, 26 ambulances were sent out from this country at that time, and Tom and Oliver drove their ambulance to Belarus, sleeping in it to keep the costs of the delivery journey to a minimum.

Westmeath Examiner May 14 2016

Playground arson attack

There was much dismay in Clonmellon after vandals set fire to play equipment at the community playground in the village.

Tommy Conlon, chairman of the village community council, estimated that repairs made necessary after the arson attack could well cost anything up to €20,000. The fire destroyed a climbing structure in the playground.

The incident was the second case of vandalism at the playground, which had been opened just a year and a half previously. In the earlier incident, damage had been caused to the fence around the play area.