While a large number of people were dancing at Tieernaloughan, Shanaglish, some nights ago (14 April 1940), a terrific explosion was heard outside, and some pieces of masonry fell through the roof of the dance hall. The lights were extinguished and although pieces of metal shattered part of the roof and the wall, no one was injured, and the dance continued for some minutes until the guards investigated. Outside it was found that a crude bomb had been placed under the roof and wedged into the downpipe. When this exploded it raised part of the corrugated roof of the dance hall and left a hole in the concrete wall, as well as shattering part of the downpipe. Pieces of metal were found embedded in the floor of the dance hall, and at the time the explosion occurred – about 11.30pm – the dance hall was full of people. How all escaped is a miracle.
On Monday evening, 18 August 1811, a ‘truly wanton and barbarous murder was perpetrated in the vicinity of Gort’ on a man named Flin, of Thomond Gate, Limerick, who had been engaged as a stone cutter on Colonel Vereker’s new buildings at Tierlohan (sic Tiraloughan). The man, ‘a stranger in this part of the country’ had been in his new employment looked upon as a marked object of ‘invidious jealousy’ and having sought ‘opportunity to forward a fatal purpose, he was, on his return from the fair of Gort on that evening, way laid by some inhuman monsters, who committed this horrid deed in the presence of his distracted wife, who, after witnessing the dreadful transaction, was treated with such violent abuse, that she was yesterday morning (Wednesday) scarcely recovered enough’ to see his remains conveyed to Limerick.
During the years of the Great Famine, an agricultural society existed in Gort. It was somewhat short-lived, and although no records for the Society seem to survive, we have some detailed descriptions from newspaper reports of meetings of the Society. The first mention of Gort Union Agricultural Society was made in March 1845, while a month later the Society placed an advertisement for an ‘Agriculturalist’. The first Society exhibition occurred in late September 1845, followed by meetings and exhibitions in February, April and September 1846. This information does not correspond with the 1979 article regarding Gort Agricultural Society I located in the Connacht Tribune, so I have decided to publish this blog post as I believe it compliments my current extensive research on the Great Famine in South County Galway. No further reference in newspaper articles regarding the Society could be located, but it is worth noting that the Society remained listed in Thom’s Irish Almanac until 1850 in the section entitled ‘Local Farming societies in Connexion with the Central Society’. In 1846, C Christison was listed as the Secretary of the Gort Union Farming Society. By 1847, E.L. Hunt Esq was listed as the Secretary, a position he still occupied in 1848 1849 and 1850. It should also be noted that Lord Gort, an instrumental figure in the Society, served on the 1846-1847 General Committee for the Royal Agricultural Improvement Society of Ireland , and served on the Council for that Society in 1848. This Society is particularly interesting because the detailed speeches covered by the newspaper journalists give us extraordinary insight into the current thinking of the landed gentry in South Galway, including Lord Gort, Robert Gregory and Captain Francis Manly Shawe Taylor.
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AuthorMy name is Eamon Healy and I work as a professional genealogist. I enjoy researching all things local history, and have a particular interest in Beagh, primarily because I can trace my family history to the parish back to the late 1780s. I hope to share my findings here in my blog posts Archives
November 2020
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