Pages from the Past

150 YEARS AGO 1861 Lamented death of owner of prominent town centre hotel It is now The Prince, formerly The Prince of Wales Hotel. But for many years, the hotel was known as Rourke's, having been owned by Patrick Rourke, a former magistrate and town council chairman. Rourke passed away in November, 1861, 150 years ago, and received the following tribute in the Westmeath Independent. "Only a week ago it was our painful task to announce the death of Mrs. Rourke. It is with deep and sincere regret that we now record the untimely death of Mr. Patrick Rourke, who departed this life on yesterday morning. There are few who read this notice who will not join with us in lamenting his demise. For several years the name of Mr. Patrick Rourke has been connected with the progress of improvement in this town. In every movement conducive to the commercial advantage of Athlone, he was always first; and most energetic in forwarding the interests of his fellow townsmen. But a "mightier one" came to sunder the silver cord and arrest a career of usefulness and honour. There is no-one who knew the public honesty and integrity of the deceased and who knew of his kind-hearted generosity and lavish charity, but must feel regret for his loss and sympathy with his sorrowing family. "Every virtue that could endear a man to his friends in private life, every quality that could adorn a man in public, he possessed." 100 YEARS AGO 1911 Rabbits - a key part of local diet Diets were definitely different in Ireland 100 years ago. An advertisement for a business named The Rabbit House was published in the Westmeath Independent of November 18, 1911. P. Naughton's of Main Street, Athlone, sold game, including rabbit, and poultry, as the accompanying ad indicates Call to make Athlone a borough In recent years there was a short-lived campaign locally to gain city status for Athlone. Back in 1911, the notion of borough status under the British Government was something worth Athlone aspiring towards, according to a Westmeath Independent editorial from November 25, 1911. "The prospect of Athlone becoming a Borough was discussed at the Urban Council. There is no reason why it should not. "Is not Cashel a city - aye, the City of Kings and has an Archbishop - and a woebegone town is Cashel but for the Rock, which it also has. "It is nothing from a manufacturing point to compare with Athlone. Yes, why not Athlone a Borough? It was once before, and by all counts a very corrupt one at that. Members of Parliament then knew what it cost to represent "the ancient and honourable" Borough of Athlone. "The Borough then made fortunes for many of the comparative few who had votes. Why not by all means have a Borough or any new distinction that is flying about in these Home Rule days? "Our proper Town Hall should be the ancient Castle (renovated) by the Lordly Shannon and the future Mayor and Corporation should be made wear distinguishing robes. We have earned it." 50 YEARS AGO 1961 Athlone man's first trip to USA since Titanic sinking The Athlone connection with the Titanic disaster is well known. And this piece from the Westmeath Independent in late November 1961 poignantly revisited the tragedy "Memories of the tragic voyage of the Titanic on April 15, 1912, were recalled at Shannon Airport on Sunday night by Athlone-born 77-year-old Mr Eugene Daly, of Henry Street, Galway, one of the last survivors of the ship which struck the "five-mile long iceberg". Mr. Daly who was making his first trip across the Atlantic - this time on an Irish Airline jet - since his voyage on the Titanic, said that after the ship struck the iceberg there was general calm among the 2,200 passengers. "About half an hour after, we realised that we were sinking and then there was a general uproar," he said. "I eventually managed to get into the last lifeboat leaving and we were 6 and a half hours in the water before being picked up by the Italian ship Kapatria." Mr Daly, how is now joining his daughter, Mrs. Michael Joyce, in New York, spent nine years in the US after the Titanic sinking. Then he returned to the Galway. He said, as the whine of the jet engines mingled with his recollections of the early voyage: "The way of travel nowadays is far easier than in 1912. The Titanic was a fine ship but I am looking forward to my flight by jet." 25 YEARS AGO 1986 Making copies of Clonmacnois monuments It emerged in late November 1986 that rubber copies of a number of relics at Clonmacnois were being made to replace the originals which were to be stored under lock and key by the Office of Public Works due to damage caused by pollution and vandalism. Many of the original grave slabs and stone crosses will eventually go on display in a new museum and interpretative centre which is to be built on the site at an estimated cost of half a million pounds. The silicon and rubber replicas are being made by stonemasons David and Jacinta Little As the replicas are completed they will replace the original relics which will be stored on site until the museum building is erected possibly by Summer 1988. According to a spokesman for he Office of Public Works, acid rain and traces of local environmental pollution were slowly destroying some of the ancient monuments. However, far more dangers were students, visitors and archaeologists taking rubbings of various parts of the edifices with chalk and tracings. The natural ageing process also caused considerable decay with segments of stone crumbling from the overall piece. A number of pieces of material from the monuments had also been stolen, it was revealed, the Westmeath Independent reported.