Published: Wednesday, 15th April, 2009 10:00am

Pages from the Past

Stories from our back issues

150 Years Ago

1859

Entries sought for

Garrycastle Races

The Garrycastle Races were an institution in Athlone for many years. Details of the races in the 1859 renewal were outlined in the Westmeath Independent of March 26 of that year.

The card for the meeting to be held on Thursday, May 19, included five races. The highlight was The Glynwood Hunt Challenge Cup. The race was worth 100 sovereigns to the winner. The cup had been presented by John Longworth and entry was limited to all horses that have been hunted with the Glynwood Foxhounds four times during the season. Entry was one sovereign and the race was run over three miles on the Garrycastle steeplechase course.

There was also a members cup race, a race for farmers, from which intriguingly gentlemen farmers were excluded, a selling race and a handicap stakes.

Stewards of the track were listed as John Ennis MP, Colonel Goodenough, John Longworth, John Malone, Thomas Naughten, William Potts, John Nugent, Robert Mooney, Christopher Usher, Captain Byam and Patrick Grehan. The judge was RJ Hunter, the treasurer and hon secretary was JW. Fair and the Clerk of the Course was John McKew, Victoria Place.

100 Years Ago

1909

Sinn Féin

established in Athlone

A branch of Sinn Féin was established in Athlone on March 21, 1909. A report in that week"s Westmeath Independent outlined the happenings at a public meeting designed to form the organisation in the town.

The meeting, attended by around 300 people, approved the following motions: 'We resolve that the people of Ireland are a free people and that no law made without their authority or consent is, or ever can be, binding on their conscience.' The meeting also unanimously agreed to 'declare itself in sympathy with the Sinn Féin party and hereby form a branch of Sinn Féin in Athlone'.

The Westmeath Independent also reported that the meeting had been told that Sinn Féin wished to establish a national assembly in either Dublin, or Athlone, as the centre of Ireland. The assembly would be elected by the people of Ireland to draw up measures to benefit the entire nation. It would include Ireland"s MPs in Westminster who would be recalled from the English parliament. It would be an assembly to which the whole nation would look to as having the moral authority to legislate for the nation.

The meeting was addressed by Aindrias O"Broin, General Secretary of the party, and by James Deakin, a member of the Central Executive.

The following week, an AGM of Sinn Féin in Athlone was held, with officers and committee elected. M. J. Lennon, a Connaught Street publican and former Irish Parliamentary Party politician, was chosen as first President. The remaining officers were: Secretary: T. Murray; Committee: Francis Daly, Cornamagh, Peter Mulvihill, Coosan, Owen Sweeney, Clonbrusk; Town: P. Norton, J. O"Flynn, William Walsh, Peter Murray and Joseph Byrne. Three unnamed ladies who, the meeting was told, had already joined the party were also added to the committee.

'Dastardly Outrage in

Athlone'

The deliberate sinking of a valuable racing yacht in Athlone was the cause of 'a great deal of indignation' in 1909, according to the March 27 edition of The Westmeath Independent from that year.

The yacht, owned by a Mr RA Harris-Temple was 'missed from its moorings at Brick Island, about the end of February, and was not discovered until this week, when it was found sunk in the same vicinity, with the bottom stove in, apparently accomplished with an iron bar.'

The Martlett, as the boat was called had been, 'brought here at very considerable cost' and it was stated that the attack was the not the result of any grudge held against Mr Harris-Temple. 'It is rumour that the occurrence was the result of a private spleen, not however, held against Mr Harris-Temple who, it is unnecessary to inform our local readers is exceedingly popular, and a well known yachtsman and sportsman, who has the goodwill of all. The boat is the value for £150 and a claim for malicious injury has been lodged with the Urban Council.'

50 Years Ago

1959

10,000 see

'The Merry Widow"

As with present times, Athlone Musical Society were entertaining the people of the town with great aplomb back in 1959 and breaking records in the process!

'It is estimated 10,000 people saw Athlone Musical Society"s presentation of 'The Merry Widow" which came to a triumphant conclusion in St Mary"s Hall on Sunday night. In its run of 16 nights all attendance records were broken in the 57-year-old history of the society,' the Westmeath Independent of March 28, 1959 reported.

The paper explained that a feature of the attendance was the number of organised groups who travelled, in a lot of cases long journeys, to see the show in its Irish amateur premiere. The society"s President Very Rev. P. McGivney felt justifiably proud when he went on stage at the end of performance on Sunday to thank all those who contributed to the outstanding success of the show.

Irish Pony Club - Westmeath branch progress

'In Westmeath, there exists the largest and most progressive branch of the Pony Club in Ireland,' The Westmeath Independent of 50 years ago told us in the March 28 edition.

Only two years in existence, its growth was of a 'mushroom-like expansion', the paper stated, from small beginnings spreading rapidly through the whole county. Children"s hunting meets were held at intervals during the season, according to the article, the results of which were evidenced at the last show in Athlone, 'there having been a parade of ponies by their riders reminiscent of Ballsbridge at its best'.

The article stated the children"s party held in the Royal Hotel, Athlone during the Christmas holidays will be 'long remembered by the children of the district'. An educational film relating to the breaking and riding of ponies by 'mere children' was screened during the event.

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