Published: Wednesday, 23rd June, 2010 5:00pm

Pages from the Past

1860

Court report in the vernacular

The following verbatim report of a court case was an unusual item to be carried in a regional paper, but the court reporter obviously enjoyed himself with this report, albeit, in a condescending fashion.

Margaret Brennan, a woman of over 60 years of ago, appeared before the petty sessions, to give an account of what had happened her on Sunday, June 17, 1860.

"The complainant said, that of all the days in the year, on the blessed Sunday, she was standin in the middle of her own flure, saying nothin to no one, right or left, when the defendant came in and axed her what brought her there. Why then Maryanne said I, havn't I a right to be here, am'nt I payin wan and tuppence a week for these two rooms.

"Wid you put me out sis I; would you do it Maryanne sis I again. Wid that your honors lordships, she up and tould me I ought to be keepin company with my daughters on the streets; That's a lie for you Maryanne sis I, a mother never reared decenter childer than those same girls ... Wid that agin your honors she up wid her fist, and glory be to goodness your lordships, hot me right on the head, and then your lordships and gentlemen of the jury, she took hoult of my cap and flattened it to state you see it; my new cap that I paid me wan and thruppence for to the Widdy Brennan; not a word of a lie in it your honors, an I here I am a poor lone orphant wid nobody to give me fair play but God and the coort."

1910

Moate discussed in Commons

The disturbed state of Moate was discussed in the House of Commons in late June 100 years ago.

It followed a series of trials relating to cattle drives, where land agitators were attempting to put pressure on prosperous "ranch owners" who they claimed occupied large under-used landbanks.

Chief Secretary Augustine Birrell told the commons that he had been informed by the RIC that cattle belonging to Mr Jeeves and Bryan Farrell at Streamstown, Moate, were driven on both May 11 and June 1.

"On the first occasion two women and a boy were arrested and brought before a magistrate, who discharged them as Mr. Jeeves and his herd, who were necessary witnesses, declined to attend. No arrests were made in connection with the second drive. The police did not see it, and the owners would not give any help towards a prosecution. The farm is kept under observation by the police and is visited by the occasional patrol," he said.

Mr Birrell went on to explain that an additional police barracks had been opened in Moate, and in consequence of the disturbed state of Moate and Mount Temple district it had been necessary to send an additional force of men to serve there. The cost was estimated at £517 per annum.

Miracle escape from rail tragedy

A 20-year old Ardkeenan youth, William Carr, had a remarkable escape from a shocking death on the railway line at Monksland, the paper reported.

"It would appear that Carr was on his way home and sat down at the outer end of the sleepers ... to rest and smoke. While in this position he must have dozed off to sleep since he did not hear the approach of a special goods train form Galway which gave him a very rude awakening.

The report said the youth was so close to the passing train that the axle box or even the step on the engine caught his back and pitched him forward some distance.

His clothes were torn off him and he received an ugly wouldn't, but miraculously he suffered no broken bones.

1960

Moate pastor celebrates Golden Jubilee

The Westmeath Independent reported that on Sunday, June 19, 1960, Canon John Pinkman, PP, St Patrick's, Moate, celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his ordination.

The paper said he was born in the parish of Kiltrubrid, and was one of two brothers who were priests. However, the paper said, this brother, Canon Francis Pinkman, who was a parish priest in the Diocese of Portsmouth had died some years ago. Their uncle was the late Rev. John Pinkman, PP, of Newtowncashel.

The paper said he was ordained in 1910, having graduated from a very brilliant class at Maynooth.

He had served as a curate in Mohill, was then administrator in Athlone's St Mary's for 20 years, before being sent to Gorletteragh in Leitrim.

He then became PP of Ballinahown, before succeeding Monsignor Thomas Langan as PP of Moate.

Local election results in 1960

Some 3,026 people cast their votes in the 1960 Athlone Urban Council elections in late June, the Westmeath Independent reported.

Only one of the nine outgoing councillors lost their seats with Michael Casey, representing the Urban Tenants Association, taking over from independent Paddy Hogan.

The names of the new council in the order in which they were elected were: Frank Waters, Independent; T. Fahy (FF), T. Darcy (Lab), PJ Lenihan (FF), F. Brennan (Lab), T. Kilroy (FG), M. Casey (Urban Tenants), M.J. Heavey (FG) and A.J. Faulkner (Ind).

Fianna Fail took 716 votes, Fine Gael 541, Labour 644, Independents 821, Urban Tenants 253.

In the Athlone Electoral Area, 6,824 people voted. And those elected were: Edward Farrell (FG), Frank Waters (Ind), George Allen (FG), T. Darcy (lab), PJ Lenihan (FF), James McAuley (FF) and Edward J. Higgins (FF).

Higgins, a farmer from Ballymore, gained a seat for Fianna Fail at the expense of Fine Gael's Edward Cunningham.

Return to: Homepage | News Index | This article