Published: Wednesday, 3rd February, 2010 5:00pm

Pages from the Past

1860

Secret society behind Kilbeggan murder

Tenant disputes were a regular occurrence of the late 1850s and early 1860s.

The term Ribbonism, although more properly applied to members of a secret society active in an earlier part of the century, was used at the time to describe violent attacks on either greedy landowners or tenants who had taken up holdings from which previous tenants had been evicted or forced out.

In January 1860, an example of just such an incident took place in Kilbeggan. The victim was John Boake, the local agent of the Grand Canal Company, who lived in an isolated house in the immediate vicinity of the canal harbour,

Boake was in his home on Sunday evening about 8pm when a man called "ostensibly for the purpose of ascertaining the probable freight of some goods, which he said, were to be forwarded by a canal boat".

However, the man suddenly forced his way into Boake's sitting room and dealt "a murderous blow with a bludgeon on Mr Boake's head".

Boake, however, made his escape by a back door and managed to evade "eight to ten ruffians" who were rushing throughout all the rooms searching for their intended victim.

Boake alerted the police in Kilbeggan and shortly afterwards they discovered seven strange men all armed with sticks in a public house. On spotting the police, one of the men dropped his stick on the floor and endeavoured to conceal it.

"The weapon was immediately secured and, on examination, blood and human hair were discovered on the extremity."

The paper said the case revolved around land let by the owner of Kilbeggan town, Gustavus W. Lambert.

Boake had taken the lease on one of the town parks which was available, a two and a half acre plot. The field had formerly been rented by a local family, who had surrendered it two years ago, due to the rent being too high. The next tenant had vacated the land, after getting a private hint and been succeed by Boake.

1910

Save Goldsmith's home plea

Dean J.J. Kelly, the parish priest of Ss Peter and Paul's Church in Athlone, wrote to Westmeath County Council in early February 1910 to urge them to act to salvage the home of Oliver Goldsmith's childhood.

Dean Kelly said the family home was now in ruin. It was "now a mere shell, and a zinc-roofed shed had been erected within it".

"The state of the famous old mansion is not creditable to Westmeath, especially when councils are empowered to advertise their tourist resorts.

He urged the council re-erect the old chimney and fireplace, of which photos existed, remove the shed and safeguard the walls which remained.

Council officials were reluctant to commit to any expenditure at the site, as the title of the land was not vested with the council.

It was agreed to send a deputation of councillors to inspect the site and speak to the tenant who farmed there.

Local footballer frightened out of his wits

A local footballer, Thomas Connolly, who played with Kiltoom Shamrocks soccer team in a local league match against another local side Rovers, would never feature for his side again, the Westmeath Independent reported.

The unfortunate Connolly was admitted to the local hospital with a bad injury following the game.

A doctor told the Board of Guardians, which ran the hospital: "He got a frightful kick and his lip was hanging down. You can tell the football team he will never kick again. He was frightened out of his life."

1960

Decentralise to the regions, paper pleads

The Westmeath Independent issued a rallying cry in favour of decentralisation of Government to the midlands.

"Every Department of State and every semi-state body had its headquarters in Dublin. The head offices of Bord na Mona, which derives its wealth from the bogs of the Midlands, is situated in Dublin and the same applies to the Electricity Supply Board, the Irish Sugar Company, and so forth. Even some of the organisations which cater for farming interests are controlled from the Metropolis."

The paper continued: "The results has been that the capital and its environs contain one quarter of the entire population of the Republic and continues to expand at the expenses of the remainder of the country. Things, in fact, have become lopsided. The dangers arising out of such a contingency have been pointed out from time to time by economists and other prominent men, but their words of warning fell like water from a duck's back."

"The reward for such complacency is now being reaped. Emigration continues on a large scale from rural areas.

The paper welcomed remarks by a Fianna Fail minister the previous week that it was the policy of the government to decentralise the various departments and sections of them as far as possible.

Judge tells 14-year-old, he could be whipped

"If you are before me again I will order you to be whipped," district court judge Ua Donnchadha told a 14-year-old boy who appeared before him at a children's court in Athlone in January, 1960.

The Westmeath Independent said the boy had pleaded guilty to the larceny of a bicycle on October 16. However, on account of his age, and previous good character, the district court judge dismissed the prosecution under the Probation Act.