Pages from the Past

150 Years Ago - 1859 Horrible murder in South Westmeath The Westmeath Independent of December 10, 1858, reported: "On Sunday last another of those barbarous outrages for which the county is unfortunately becoming notorious was committed at Newtown between Drumraney and Ballymore. The victim was a farmer, Lawrence Kelly of some means and unmarried; he held about 80 acres of land, to which he had lately added five acres and the whole of the which it was stated he was (having a good interest therein) about to dispose of. Kelly attended mass in his parish chapel on the day of his murder and was eating his dinner when he was shot in the head. After giving some gruesome descriptions of the scene, the paper continued: "The assassin fired through a window, and so close did he bring the muzzle of his gun that the hair and skull were burned by the powder." An inquest found that he had been murdered by some person or persons unknown. At the time of the article, no clue had been obtained as to the identity of the murderer. Some relatives had been taken into custody and were later released. 100 Years Ago - 1909 Close the late-bar clubs In early 20th century Athlone, clubs such as the Hibernians and the Foresters were key parts of the town's social and community life. However, in 1909, the clubs, and their facilitating late-night drinking, were in the firing line of temperance reformers. At a meeting of Athlone Urban Council in late 1909, the issue arose with the Westmeath Independent noting that "a good deal of talking has been indulged in with reference to the proposal to shut the clubs early on week nights and entirely on Sundays". A temperance meeting in the town sparked a motion at the local council tabled by Mr Robert Baile which read: "That we, the Athlone Urban Council, request the magistrates at licensing sessions to refuse to sign the licence or certificate of any club which will not give a guarantee that it will close the bar each night at a reasonable hour." Asked by another councillor as to what he regarded as a reasonable hour, Mr Baile said eleven or twelve o'clock. "It is a crying shame that these clubs can remain open all night and induce young men to go in there drinking and gambling. I think it is unfair that men who pay for a licence are shut up while clubs can sell what they like." Mr Baile said he intended to personally object at the licensing courts to licences for these clubs. The motion was later passed, after Mr Baile confirmed it was the bars in the clubs he was objecting to and not the clubs themselves. "They can sit up all night if the bar is closed," he remarked. However, in a letter to the paper, one of the members of the club, Owen Dolan, said whilst he approved of the temperance movement, he was concerned at what he called the "exaggerated expressions of public men whose opinions must carry weight with the outside public". Referring to claims the clubs were houses of debauchery, he said: "I am, and have been a member of several clubs in Athlone, and I can vouch for the excellent manner in which they are and have been conducted." "Furthermore, the men who are members of them are of irreproachable character and of undoubted respectability, nor are they of the class who would for a moment associate themselves with any club which could be termed a house of debauchery." 50 Years Ago - 1959 Dublin end of Moate like Chinatown! The Dublin end of Moate earned disparaging comparisons with Chinatown back in December 1959 because of the high number of derelict buildings dotting the area. "If the derelict buildings at the Dublin end of Moate were removed the belief is that it would be the most beautiful town between Dublin and Galway," the view of Mr JJ McAuley at Westmeath County Council, who asked that such unsightly structures be removed immediately. Mr McAuley pointed out that the council would soon be erecting houses in that area which required a great deal of cleaning up. "The rest of Moate was becoming a very nice town thanks to the council who have carried out a lot of improvements there in recent years. The Dublin end of the town is like Chinatown with so many derelict and dilapidated buildings." He continued: "When the housing scheme went ahead there in the near future the main road would also be reconstructed. While these old buildings were permitted to remain standing there was no fear of Moate entering the Tidy Towns competition. If they were cleared away it would be the most beautiful town between Dublin and Galway". In reply, the Manager said the intention was that all the houses in question would be demolished as they became vacant.