Pages from the Past

1860 Three months jail for stealing apples "John Murray, a lad having neither good character nor appearance, was brought up in the custody of Constable Durick, who charged him with being one of a party detected in robbing the garden of the Rev. J.R. Moffatt on the Saturday night previous." The constable told the court he had information regarding an attempt to rob the garden. When arriving on the scene, he saw a soldier on look-out, who sounded the alarm. Four other soldiers and the prisoner then came over the garden wall. Constable Durick arrested the prisoner and his comrade took one of the soldiers into custody. A quantity of apples were discovered in the prisoner's coat. The two soldiers arrested, John Joyce, and the lookout called Hayes, were both brought back to the barracks. In the court, the prisoner, who was sentenced to three months in jail with hard labour,+ admitted that he was caught but argued that the soldiers should have been arrested and charged too! The constable told the court that three of the soldiers couldn't be identified. The court was told it would be impossible to identify these three soldiers as fifty passes to leave the barracks were given to soldiers that night. One of the magistrates, Mr William Potts, expressed concern that this many soldiers would be on the town in one night. The paper reported his thoughts thus: "Mr Potts thought it very reprehensible to let out such a number of young men upon the streets at night when they got amongst the women of the town, the riot and uproar they created was beyond description." The head constable replied: "On Saturday night, thee streets were full of soldiers fighting and shouting. We have not sufficient force to prevent them, beside the police do not wish to meddle with soldiers. 1910 Shamless journalistic sensationalism Sensationalism in journalism is often felt to be a modern problem. However, as far as the Westmeath Independent was concerned, the trend was destroying journalism all of 100 years ago. In an editorial on the issue, in the wake of the famous murder of his wife by Dr Crippen (mentioned in last week's Pages from the Past), the paper had the following to say: "There is a shameless sensationalism, utterly unworthy of the dignity of journalism in the fine frenzy into which the English newspapers have thrown the British public over the sordid and filthy murder for which the man Crippen and his typist have been arrested with such dramatic display. The wretched affair in all its sordid detail is one of the most irritating and lamentable pieces of stage work that could be put on in real life and would be regarded on the part of the newspapers as an insult to the public intelligence and public good taste but for the morbid interest that the English have in domestic drama. "Instead of correcting such an inclination, it seems now to be the function of event the greatest of the English papers to nourish the lowest instincts of the proletariat, with the result, as we have seen that an army of reporters were sent after Crippen, and columns of picturesque but empty and trivial rubbish was called home for a diseased curiosity to feed upon." 1960 Galway-bound traffic gets lost The following report from August 1960 still has some relevance 50 years later. "The traffic congestion causing Connaught Street by motorists who went off their route to Galway, was referred to by Mr T. Kilroy, at Athlone Urban Council on Tuesday night. "Mr Kilroy, who asked that a road sign be erected on the Leinster side of the Bailey bridge, said that a considerable number of motors passing over the town bridge to go to Galway, instead of turning right, proceeded up Connaught Street and caused a terrible lot of congestion by going off their route. When driving across the bridge they looked ahead and did not see the existing road sign. They should have a sign of the Leinster side of the bridge which would clearly indicate their route after passing over the bridge. The Chairman said that the existing sign post on the Connaught side was cluttered up with hotel and golf links signs and it was very confusing to strangers. German soccer club defeated in Athlone The team DJK Concordia from Dortmund arrived in Athlone on Saturday, August 13 and were accorded a civic reception in the Hodson Bay Hotel. Connaught Utd, winners of the local league, were lined up as opposition, supplemented by two guest players, Raymond Browne from UCD and Michael Geoghegan from Athlone, a native of the town. The match took place in the Gentex sports field - and both teams were presented before the match to the Chairman of Athlone UDC T. D'Arcy. The Irish and German national anthems were played before kick off. As the game progressed it transpired that Connaught Utd were far the superior side and they were three up by the interval, thanks to a double from Geoghegan. Easing off somewhat in the second half, Connaught Utd still ran out 6-4 winners. After the game, both teams were entertained to dinner at the Hodson Bay Hotel. The Athlone side was, as follows: E. Doyle, R. Browne, B. Grenham, O. Grennan, F. Enright (captain), M. Geoghegan, N. Enright, T. Frawley, F. Frawley and C. Bryne.