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Westmeath Examiner, January 17, 1885

The case of the worsted thread

A young girl, who gave the name of Mary Malone, was indicted at the Westmeath quarter sessions for having stolen a quantity of worsted thread, the property of Mr JW Gordon, Mullingar, the previous November 6.

In evidence, John Erskine told the court that on November 6, the prisoner came into the shop and went to the counter where he was working in his role as shop assistant.

She remained standing there for about five minutes, where the worsted was, and he saw her take up the worsted and put it under her arm and make to leave with it.

Mr Erskine said he came out from behind the counter and asked her if she had anything under her shawl. She said she had not, but he then opened her shawl and found worsted.

Cross-examined by defence barrister Mr Fetherstone, Mr Erskine said there were 14 shop assistants employed, six or seven of whom were there at the time of the robbery.

He said that after taking the wool from the counter, the prisoner went to another counter, but did not attempt to leave the shop.

Mr JW Gordon deposed that he knew both the prisoner and her father, who resided at a place near Mullingar. "I wish to mention that I do not wish to press the charge against her, but the trade should be protected," he said.

James Doyne deposed that he had a drapery establishment in Mullingar; he knew the prisoner very well as she frequently obtained goods in his shop. He said he found her strictly honest in her dealings.

After retiring to deliberate, the jury returned a verdict of guilty, but with a strong recommendation to mercy on the ground of her previous good behaviour.

Under the circumstances, his honour allowed the prisoner out on her own recognisance to come up for judgment when called upon.

Westmeath Examiner, January 19, 1895

Support for the Examiner

The Westmeath Examiner had come up for discussion at a meeting in London of the council of the Institute of Journalists, which was presided over by Sir Hugh Gilsean Reid, since Mr Thomas Crosbie, of Cork, the president of the institute was unavoidably absent.

The report stated that Ireland was represented at the meeting by Messrs JW Power, C Ryan and J O’Donovan, of the Irish Association District; Mr Angus McKay, Dublin District, and Mr A McMonigle, Ulster District.

Stated the item: "The following resolution was unanimously passed on the motion of Mr Aaron Watson, London, seconded by Mr Bayless, Maidenhead: ‘That this council strongly disapprove of the action of the Mullingar Town Commissioners in excluding from their meetings the representatives of the Westmeath Examiner, on the ground that they do not approve of the editorial articles published in that newspaper, and that this resolution be forwarded to the Mullingar Town Commissioners by the secretary of the Institute’."

Westmeath Examiner, January 21, 1905

Police stations for closure

Three police stations in Westmeath had been earmarked for closure, and two others were likely to face similar fates, the issue of January 21, 1905 reported.

"It is learned that the police stations of Ballinalack, Ballinahown and Ballinagore in Co Westmeath have been abolished, and the police stationed in these places will be transferred to other stations," stated the report, going on to state that this was presumably in connection with the promise of the chief secretary to reduce the expenditure on the Royal Irish Constabulary in order to meet some of the expenditure required by the working of the Land Act of 1903.

"It is believed other stations in Westmeath including Reynella and Crazy Corner will also be shortly closed as there is practically a total absence of crime in the county," the item stated, adding that in Meath, three barracks were to be dispensed with.

Westmeath Examiner, January 16, 1915

Tyrrellspass cattle drivers released

On the Saturday of the week of January 16, 1915, 14 men from Tyrrellspass district who had been sentenced by Mr Justice Kenny at the recent Leinster Assizes to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour arrived back in Mullingar.

The men had been sentenced for cattle driving off the lands of Tore, Tyrrellspass held by Mr Henry McKenna for grazing.

"They were met on their arrival shortly after 11 o’clock at Mullingar Station by the gallant Cloneyheigue UIL Band and a number of local folk from Tyrrellspass and Cloneyheigue districts," stated the report.

It went on to state that the six prisoners, "carrying little green flags and accompanied by the band, paraded the streets of the town for a few hours, cheers being raised as they went along".

The six men then headed to Tyrrellspass, where there was public rejoicing at their return home.

Westmeath Examiner, January 17, 1925

Mental hospital sports grounds

"The work of improving the Mental Hospital Sports Grounds for the Leinster Junior Football Final has now been completed," read a report in the issue dated January 17, 1925.

The item stated that it went without saying that the grounds could now compare with the best of Gaelic arenas in the country.

"To prevent encroachment on the playing pitch, a good, stout paling has been erected and the grounds have also been rolled and levelled off in an up-to-date manner," the report said.

It continued: "The members of the Gaelic Clubs attached to the Mental Hospital deserve every praise for the wholehearted and generous manner in which they entered upon the task of making the grounds adaptable for important fixtures."

The item went on to state that sports ground president, Thomas Cummins, "himself a life-long Gael", was always found at the helm, and now had the satisfaction of seeing the work crowned with success.

Westmeath Examiner, January 19, 1935

‘It Pays To Advertise’

The Mullingar Repertory Company had visited Kells the previous Sunday and presented the three-act farce ‘It Pays To Advertise’, which had recently been a success for them in Mullingar.

The report stated that the performance, which was held in aid of the new Cathedral funds, was given in the St Vincent de Paul Hall and was received with "enthusiastic applause and continuous laughter".

Not just that, but it was, the writer said, "voted one of the best and most sparkling and amusing plays ever staged in Kells".

Rev E Crinion, CC, Mullingar, thanked the audience and the performers and all who had helped. He reminded the audience that a big star attraction would be put on in Kells on the night of February 1, when the Mullingar Choral Society would present a double feature bill of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance, "preceded by Burn and Sullivan’s excruciatingly funny operetta ‘Cox and Box’".

The item stated that the performance would also be for the Cathedral funds and would follow on the four performances of these two music co-dramatic pieces in Mullingar and one of the same in Tullamore.

Westmeath Examiner, January 15, 1945

Printing outside Mullingar

The Trades Council in Mullingar expressed disapproval of the promoters of local events who went outside Mullingar to have printing work done, an article in the issue of January 20, 1945 reported.

The matter had been raised by J Ferguson, a representative of the Typographical Association, who said he understood printing had been sent out of Mullingar to other towns.

"This town is able to cater for itself and my Association objects to printing being done outside Mullingar," he said.

Other speakers were aggrieved about the fact that the organisers of a question time went to Longford to have the programme printed and there was also annoyance that posters for the county hall cinema were printed outside Mullingar.

In the end, those present passed a motion calling on all trade union members to withdraw their support from all functions where the printing was not done in the town or at least in the county.

Westmeath Examiner, January 15, 1955

Less work in repairing cottages

Local TD Charlie Fagan asked at a meeting of Westmeath County Council that work be provided for a number of the men who were becoming unemployed due to an easing of the work of repairing cottages.

Deputy Fagan said he understood some single men were being kept on while married men were being let go.

Deputy Joe Kennedy said Mr Fagan should endeavour to get in touch with the department about having National Development Fund money allocated to the county.

He also stated that there was a feeling that with the easing off of cottage repairs that the same return was not being given by labour, although he did not know whether that was true.

It was agreed that Messrs Fagan and Kennedy would visit the Department of Local Government to see if monies could be made available to give more employment in the county.

Meanwhile, the same issue of the newspaper reported that at that week’s county council meeting, architect Philip Ginnell had been appointed, in consultation with the council’s engineering staff, to prepare a sketch plan for the layout of the public park at Annebrook, Mullingar.

Westmeath Examiner, January 16, 1965

Major General Sir Edward Michael Pakenham

An unusual lead story on the edition of January 16, 1965 described how Francis J Mulhern, a businessman from New Orleans was at Killucan to lay a wreath on behalf of the people of New Orleans at the final resting place of Major General Sir Edward Michael Pakenham, CCB, who had been killed in action at the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815.

Apparently there had been no need for the Battle of New Orleans as 12 days earlier there had been an end to hostilities between the Americans and the English, and a peace treaty was signed – but word had not reached Major General Pakenham, and it was he who had launched the attack on the American forces led by General Jackson. Pakenham died in the battle, but mystery had surrounded where his final resting place was.

Westmeath Examiner, January 18, 1975

Private public phone in Rathwire

The village of Rathwire featured in an unusual story on the front page of the Westmeath Examiner of January 18, 1975.

It turned out that tired of waiting for the provision of a public phone box in their village, locals had come together and erected what was in fact a privately owned public telephone. The phone was situated in a kiosk outside the home of Brendan McKeogh, who had come up with the idea.

The story revealed that originally the residents of Rathwire had to travel the mile and a quarter to Killucan if they wished to make a phone call, and on many occasions they would arrive to find the phone there out of order.

Mr McKeogh, meanwhile, had made representations to local councillors – without success – to have a kiosk erected in the village, and eventually decided to write to Minister for Posts and Telegraphs Dr Conor Cruise O’Brien. Dr Cruise O’Brien’s response, however, was that due to the fact that there was no post office in Killucan, it would not be possible to install a telephone.

Mr McKeogh had applied for a private phone for his home when he hit upon the idea of the privately-owned public phone. He held a meeting in his house to outline his idea to locals, and arising out of that, a number of residents decided to subscribe a certain sum towards the installation of a telephone in Rathwire.

He changed his application to one for a coin box operated device, and erected the kiosk personally, supplying it with light from the electricity supply to his own home. Each subscriber agreed to pay an annual sum of £1.50 towards the cost of the phone, and they agreed also that as a safeguard against vandals, each subscriber would receive a key and that the kiosk should be locked for not in use.

The phone was installed on December 4, 1974.

Evening Herald, January 14, 1985

European Year of Music

The year 1985 was the European Year of Music and also International Year of Youth. To celebrate both, the Westmeath VEC announced it was to introduce a scheme of Peripatetic Instrumental Music Tuition. As a result, requests for tuition at the vocational schools in Mullingar, Moate, Castlepollard, Athlone and Killucan were being accepted.

The instruments on offer were recorder, violin, viola, cello, oboe, piano and the Irish Harp.

Westmeath Examiner, January 14, 1995

Young Scientist Exhibition win

Three Westmeath schools had participated in the Young Scientist Exhibition in January of 1995 and the entrants from the Carmelite College in Moate were thrilled to receive two awards at the event.

Joseph Campbell, Rosemount, Miriam Ryan, Kilbeggan, and Sarah Buckley, Cooleen, all third year students at the Carmelite College, won the National Heritage Council Special Award for projects dealing with the protection and presentation of the environment.

They also received a highly commended award for the same project, which focused on the effects of quarrying on a local environment, a study which investigated the objections of the community in Rosemount to extensive quarrying and blasting at Cnoc Aiste.

The two other Westmeath schools that had participated in the competition that year were St Joseph’s, Rochfortbridge and Our Lady’s Bower in Athlone.