What's a just prison term for Athlone prostitutes?

1859 - 150 Years Ago - What's a just prison term for Athlone prostitutes? That was the question discussed by Athlone Town Commission at its meting in mid October 1859. The chairman John Stokes said there appeared to be a difference of opinion between one magistrate on the commission, Mr Rourke, and the remaining magistrates, as to the term of imprisonment "they were empowered to inflict on prostitutes". One magistrate had said seven days, another three months. The Westmeath Independent reported: "A conversation of more than one hour's length on this subject ensued, which resulted in submitting the question to the Law Officers of the Crown." "A deputation from the board composed of the following members: P. Rourke, P. Maxwell, J. Kennedy and G. Hetherington were appointed to wait upon the commanding officer of the garrison and to request his cooperation in keeping the bridge and the neighbourhood of the barracks clear of loiterers and persons of questionable character." The most abominable public house in town Prostitutes were again at the centre of another news report in the same issue when an application for a certificate to renew their publican's licence was sought by Constatine Jacob. The Athlone Petty Sessions heard an objection to the licence from a local solicitor, Mr Fair, who told the court he had not objected when the original icences was applied for as Jacob had stated "he would confine himself to selling drams at the counter like Mr Maxwell, Mr Kerr and at the other respectable homes". However, Fair said instead the house had become the resort of bad characters and the paper reported "on Sunday evenings, it was filled with prostitutes from whom the most obscene songs and filthy language emanated". Dr Hetherington said: "It was the most abominable house in town, to which all prostitutes congregated." However, head constable McDowell said he had never heard of any bad conduct there. Hetherington insisted he had seen police go into the premises on a Sunday to stop a row. There was a room, the windows of which faced out into Strand Street, though which the filthy songs could be heard by the passers-by The applicant said he had been told he could not legally refuse these women drink. However, he told the court, through his solicitor, that he would no long sell drink "to this class of objectionable characters" nor would he open his house on Sundays. The court granted the certificate on these conditions. 1909 - 100 Years Ago - Teachers complain about pay and conditions The question of investment in our primary education system and the extent of the conditions for pupils and teachers alike remains live today, as it did 100 years ago as the Westmeath Independent of October 23, 1909, reported. In that edition, details of a meeting of the members of the Athlone and Moate Association of Teachers were published. Some 20 local teachers attended and heard a paper delivered by Drum teacher John Meares. Painting a picture of the conditions an average teacher endured, he said: "His salary is insufficient, promotion slow and uncertain, overland programme almost impossible of accomplishment, insecurity of tenure, often depending upon the capricious whims of officials ...." He continued: "The structure which serves for his school is often nothing more than four walls and a roof." The average teacher received £63 a year while the pension was "scarcely sufficient to keep body and soul together". It was stated that the Treasury paid 1.5 times as much for the education of every British child as it did for each Irish child. In an editorial comment piece, the Westmeath Independent was in sympathetic mood. "They are in such a bad position we can quite understand why primary education is a synonym for ignorance." And the paper pointed out that the salary payments were often made every third month, and not through the education office, but through the lcoal clergy, in order the Westmeath Independent said, "to teach him (the teacher) his dependence". 1959 - 50 Years Ago - Abrupt end to meeting as farmers rush to save cow A dramatic rescue was recounted on the front page of Westmeath Independent of October, 1959, as farmers came to the aid of a cow stranded in a drain in Bealnamulla. "The weekly meeting of the Crannagh Cross Drainage Committee in Bealnamulla ended abruptly and dramatically," the paper recalled. "As the treasurer was reading a list of members who had paid annuities and rates to the committee in trust, a member, who was absent, rushed in to say that a cow, his property was in a drain which had been flooded as a result of a rise in the river level". The report continued: "The Chairman Mr P. Cunniffe adjourned the meeting and the members, after procuring ropes and spades, proceeded to release the animal, which they succeeded in doing with much difficulty owing to the marshy condition of the ground". The recent heavy rain has rendered the much of the Bealnamulla area into a large lake, it concluded. Monster potato unearthed in Glasson A giant potato was making the news this month 50 years ago, the annals of the Westmeath Independent has revealed. "Whilst digging potatoes on his farm at Ballingee, Glasson, Athlone, Mr Thomas Coughlan unearthed a potato of the Kerr's Pink variety which weighed an enormous 3lbs."