Pages Past: Will electricity be food of future?’ asked article in January 1915

Westmeath Examiner, January 9, 1915

Electricity ‘food of the future’

‘Will electricity be the food of the future?’ asked an item in the Westmeath Examiner of January 9, 1915, stating that already it had been proven that electricity could act as a substitute for food “to a certain extent”. Quoting from The Northern Whig, the report stated that a French scientist, Professor Bergonie, had established this “rather sensational but no less authentic fact” by experiments at his laboratory at Bordeaux University.

“For a long time, scientists have been looking for a cure which would do away with some of the multiple ailments of the human body and have been universally of the opinion that if food could be in a more condensed form, it would be absorbed with less fatigue and discomfort. The principle of electricity acting as a food value is that it adds to the heat energy of the stomach so that much less food has to be taken into the body,” stated the report, explaining that the professor’s method – “diathermy” – involved applying frequent current to the human body so that instead of heat having to be produced from food materials which needed to be consumed and burnt in the system and thus gave rise to much overwork of the organs, the artificial method produced the same heat at much less injurious cost to the general condition of health.

Westmeath Examiner, January 10, 1925

All-night dances

Most Reverend Dr Gaughran, Bishop of Meath, in a letter to Reverend P O’Farrell, PP Dunshaughlin, expressed his disapproval of an all-night dance which had recently been held in a disused workhouse at Dunshaughlin, and in his letter directed attention to the serious results that might be expected to follow from dances on Saturday nights or the eve of holidays.

“Is it not to be expected,” said his lordship, “that such dancers who retire to rest at 6am or 7am will afterwards attend Mass?

“Moreover, it has become usual to bring intoxicating drink to such places so that scenes of great disorder are the consequence when there is no proper supervision.”

The letter, quoted in the Westmeath Examiner of January 10, 1925, had been read at a meeting of Meath County Council, and the chairman, Mr O’Dwyer, said that drink had been brought into the place and that there had been no proper supervision. According to the report, it was decided not to give the use of any buildings under the council’s control for a Saturday dance and to insist on proper supervision in cases where permission was given.

Westmeath Examiner, January 12, 1935

Museum seeking more artefacts

The National Museum was, in 1935, seeking relics relating to the struggle for national independence, the Westmeath Examiner reported in January 1935. The years of interest to the museum were 1915 to 1922 and the report stated that while the museum already possessed some items from that period, it was anxious to extend the scope of the collection.

“The Museum authorities are desirous of hearing of any articles connected with the events of the period under review and would be very grateful if any persons who have such objects in their possession would kindly lend or perhaps present them to the museum,” stated the item, going on to list items such as uniforms, headdresses, arms, accoutrements, badges, personal possessions, letters, documents, as being of potential interest.

The report concluded by stating that several objects had already been obtained from generous donors and the National Museum was prepared to receive and preserve such material and have it displayed for the benefit of the public.

Westmeath Examiner, January 13, 1945

Dear for the time!

The county manager, Mr MG McGeeney, told the town commissioners at their meeting in January of 1945 that he believed the tender of £25 submitted by Mr C Coughlan for the amending and maintenance of the town clock at the Market House was too high.

Mr JJ Hoey commented: “It is an unpleasant town topic at the present time.”

Mr JJ Carey remarked that where there was only one tender received, it was the usual procedure to accept it, and in this case there was only one tender, and the clock was, he continued, an important one. The county manager responded that Mr Begley was now doing the winding of the clock.

That didn’t please Mr Coyne, who said Mr Begley was not competent, and he pointed out that the increase in Mr Coughlan’s tender was not excessive, considering that the price of parts had gone up.

The county manager said Mr Coughlan had been asked to reduce the tender, but he refused to do so. “I consider five shillings per week sufficient,” he said.

Mr Coyne did not agree: “You will not get good service for that?” he said.

It was finally decided that the county manager should ascertain what was being paid for the task in other towns.

“I think that is fair,” he responded.

Westmeath Examiner, January 8, 1955

Councillors busy

The January 1955 meeting of Westmeath County Council appears to have been a busy affair judging by the account of the proceedings carried in the January 8 edition of the Westmeath Examiner.

The report revealed that county council had agreed to seek sanction for a loan of £14,500 for Killucan and Rathwire Water Supply Scheme, and to apply for permission to raise a loan of £13,000 for the new county clinic and offices at present being built near the County Hospital in Mullingar.

Bord na Móna had agreed to erect a bridge at Mongagh, on the Offaly/Westmeath border – subject to both those councils contributing £275 each, while the Office of Public Works had submitted documents, on request, so that the council could have an estimate of the cost of draining the Rochfortbridge River.

At the same meeting, a resolution proposed by Senator Gerry L’Estrange asking that instead of appointing an additional home assistance officer, an increase in pay be given to the existing officers was adjourned for consideration.

The meeting also decided that its annual contribution to the Irish Tourist Association should be risen from £200 to £250.

Michael Kennedy, TD, remarked that for the extra £50 the Tourist Association should be required to include “at least one Westmeath photograph in their journal during the year”.

Westmeath Examiner, January 2, 1965

Tullynally party

“Mr Thomas Pakenham and his charmingly attractive wife Valerie were at home at the family seat of Tullynally on Sunday evening to about 70 guests, representatives of the commercial and professional life of Castlepollard, to friends from the surrounding area and to work people and their wives from the estate,” opened an item in the Westmeath Examiner of January 2, 1965.

The item went on to state that at the entrance hall the guests were greeted and welcomed by Mr Pakenham, who directed them to the dining room, “where a vast variety of viands [was] on display for the delectation of visitors”.

“Lighted tapers and tall silver candelabra and floral decorations graced the board in the centre of which stood a beautifully chased solid silver cup dating from the mid-18th century and which commemorates the duel between John Wilkes, the Whig who championed the cause of the people with vigour, and Lord Talbot; whilst from the surrounding walls of the room ancestors in gilded frames looked down on the merry party.”

The item went on to state that in the huge fireplaces great burning logs helped to illuminate the scene.

“It was all so informal and homely with the host and his wife ably assisted by his brother Kevin and his sister Katherine chatting with the guests and offering further helpings of the good things which there were aplenty.”

On behalf of the guests, Mr MJ Kennedy, TD, speaking in Irish and English, thanked Mr Pakenham and his wife for the memorable evening. He referred to the many kindnesses which the people of Castlepollard had received from the late Lord Longford and Lady Christine, to the great service the present Lord Longford rendered in securing the return of the Lane pictures and adverted also to his lordship’s “Trial by ordeal”, which he described as one of the finest contributions to modern Irish literature.

Mr Kennedy then wished them many years of health, happiness and wedded bliss.

Westmeath Examiner, January 11, 1975

Cattle trade threat

In the year 2025, concern about trade with the UK hinges on the damage that was caused to the Ferry Port of Holyhead by Storm Darragh in December 2024; however, there were also concerns about trade between the two countries in 1975 due to the fact that there were not enough boats available to take cattle out of this country. The subject came up for discussion at the December meeting of the county council and the members unanimously decided to send telegrams to Minister for Agriculture Mark Clinton, TD, and Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave, TD, asking them to try to do something to enable boats to be made available for the exportation of cattle. During the discussion that followed, it was stated that the country was losing at least one million pounds per week as a result of the difficulty in transporting livestock from here to the UK.

Westmeath Independent, January 11, 1985

Challenge to young people

The editorial comment writer in the Westmeath Independent of January 11 focused on the fact that the United Nations had designated 1985 as International Youth Year.

“It has special significance for this country where we have a very large proportion of our young people without work,” the writer stated, noting that out of the 200,000 registered as unemployed, about 30% were young people.

“This is a totally unacceptable situation to which too much lip service has already been paid. The hope is that there will be less prevarication this year and more honesty and sincerity shown to their plight and to their aspirations,” the item stated, going on to suggest that the year should, meanwhile, also be seen as a challenge to young people to participate in a meaningful way in the cause of peace and community development.

“They should not be asked to do it in isolation if they are not to be further disorientated,” the writer continued, adding that there was “a great deal of untapped potential in young people which could find expression if they became more involved in the political process so that policies that would be to their benefit could be implemented”.

Westmeath Examiner, January 14, 1995

Gold award from rail company

A McCurtain Street native – John McEntee – was awarded a gold award from the Northern Line rail company in the UK after his actions led to the capture of an attempted murderer.

Mr McEntee, a former training instructor with the Irish army, who had seen tours of duty with the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in both the Congo and Lebanon, had emigrated to the UK in the late 1990s with his wife, Noreen, and their young family. The report in our edition of January 14, 1995, revealed that while Mr McEntee was carrying out his duties as a revenue control inspector with the Northern Line, a scuffle broke out in the ticket hall of Tooting Broadway station, and one party was stabbed.

Mr McEntee and a colleague checked on the condition of the victim and Mr McEntee then chased a suspect to a mini-cab office about a mile from the station, from where police were able to apprehend him. The injured man survived the stabbing.

Westmeath Examiner, January 8, 2005

Tsunami assistance

The world was still reeling in the wake of the devastating St Stephen’s Day tsunami which cost massive loss of life in Asia, and our January 8 edition revealed that Mullingar man Brian Fagan had travelled to Sri Lanka as part of an emergency GOAL team, distributing food and water to those affected by the disaster. “The destruction is unbelievable,” Brian told the Westmeath Examiner, speaking by phone from the southern coastal town of Matara.

He revealed that bodies were still being found, nine days after the disaster: “They’re moving the rubble and every time they do, they find bodies,” he stated.

The Bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith, also launched an appeal across the diocese, with the intention being that money donated would be sent out to Archbishop Salvatore Pennachio, a man who had spent some years in the Apostolic Nunciature in Dublin in the 1990s.

A suggestion was also made by Mullingar Town Council member Pat Whelan, that Irish army personnel should be made available to assist in the humanitarian effort in Asia. “While our defence forces do not necessarily have the equipment required for the direct supply of aid, they do have expertise that would be of great benefit, and that may be best used for assisting the non-governmental agencies in a technical, medical or logistical capacity,” he said.

Westmeath Examiner, January 3, 2015

Rosemount man in Buenos Aires

The new deputy ambassador to the Irish embassy in Buenos Aires was named as Rosemount man, Bobby Smyth. Mr Smyth, a past pupil of Rosemount NS and then the Cistercian College, Roscrea, graduated with a journalism degree from DCU, and worked with both The Westmeath Independent and later the Sunday Tribune newspaper before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs.

To mark the appointment, the Longford Westmeath Argentina Society held a function at The Greville Arms Hotel, at which some of the many people from this area who have familial links with Argentina were present.