Pages Past: 'Work offer for Bishop of Meath in the US'

Westmeath Examiner, February 14, 1885

Work for Bishop of Meath in US

The then Bishop of Meath, Dr Thomas Nulty, had delivered a lecture on an unusual subject in what was described as “the lecture hall of this town”.

The bishop’s lecture was on sanitary science and he gave an authoritative explanation of how the earth was composed and the gases with which we are surrounded.

However, before setting into the lecture, the bishop elicited some degree of laughter when he told how some time previously, an American man had called on him at Navan, where he happened to be staying at the time.

Said the bishop: “He was the editor and proprietor of a great illustrated weekly newspaper exactly the same as The Illustrated London News or The Graphic.

“He at once proclaimed or announced to me his business and he said: ‘Bishop, my business is to ask you to go out with me on a lecturing tour to America.’

“While I got it hard to keep my countenance, which I think I did, I asked him on what terms. He said: ‘£30 a night for five nights in each week. Your expenses will not cost you anything and your employment will last a year and a half.’ (Laughter)

“I said to him: ‘I am afraid that the speculation on these terms would hardly pay you.’ (Renewed laughter)

“’Oh yes,’ said he, ‘you are pretty well known in the United States and I will advertise you largely. (Laughter) We will have full houses everywhere we go.

“’And,’ said he, ‘I will pay you to the last cent and make a nice penny of it for myself.’ (Continued laughter).

“I said the terms were very generous but I could not be absent from my diocese so long.

“He said: ‘Could you not do without bishoping for a year and a half?’ (Renewed laughter)

“I said, no, that before I returned to them, they would have another man in my place. (Laughter)

“I am afraid,” said I, “you would not find constant employment for me.”

“’Well,’ he said, ‘not meaning any disrespect, we live so fast in the United States that I am afraid the novelty would be worn away before the year and a half would have ended’.

“Of course we parted on the best of terms.

“He added he was very sorry I could not see my way to do without bishoping for that short time – ‘because,’ said he, ‘we could have a glorious time of it together’. (More laughter).”

Westmeath Examiner, February 16, 1895

Dance at Clonhugh

The previous Wednesday night, Lord Greville had given his annual dance to the servants, labourers and tenantry of his estate at Clonhugh, the Westmeath Examiner reported on February 16, 1895. The account stated that the event was “a pleasant reunion”.

“At ten o’clock, Lord Greville, accompanied by the Hon Miss Greville, Miss St George, Captain Morrison and Captain Fetherson, entered the dance room and was heartily cheered by those assembled.

“The room was tastefully decorated with mottoes and evergreens and bore such scrolls as ‘God speed the plough’, ‘Céad mile Fáilte’ etc.

“When the party had enjoyed the dancing for some time, Lord Greville complimented the steward, Mr Cully, upon the very tasteful manner in which the dance room was decorated. Mr Cully briefly thanked his lordship for his kindness to them all, not only during the present year but ever since he had come to live in Clonhugh.

“Three hearty cheers were then given for Lord Greville and his family. In suitable terms, Lord Greville replied, expressing his gratification at seeing them all present and hoping they would all be spared to meet again.

“The house party then retired and the dancers proceeded to a choice supper to which ample justice was done, and the manner in which it was enjoyed is the best proof of the appreciation of Mrs Sutherland’s efforts for the entertainment of the guests.

“Dancing was then resumed and kept up with spirits to an early hour when the party broke up after enjoying a splendid night.”

Westmeath Examiner, February 11, 1905

Runaway at station

“On last Wednesday, a horse under a dray cart, the property of Mr H Hope, Gartlandstown, took fright at the Railway Station and dashed along the road towards the Green Bridge,” stated a report published in the issue of February 11, 1905.

It continued by stating that “on the way, the two wheels fell off the cart and the infuriated animal dragged the vehicle along the ground at a furious speed”.

“The young fellow who had charge of the horse held on pluckily and tenaciously to the bridle, but was obliged to let go nearing The Green Bridge.

“Down Dominick Street the animal made and was only stopped at the post office by the police.

“No-one was injured [except] the man who had charge of the horse and he received only a few scratches on the arm.”

Westmeath Examiner, February 13, 1915

Frewin Coursing Club Dance

A dance held under the auspices of the Frewin Coursing Club on Friday night, February 5, in St Mary’s Hall, Mullingar had been “a great success”.

“There were 80 people present, and dancing was kept up with vigour until late into Saturday morning.

“The hall was beautifully decorated, reflecting much credit on Miss May Ryan and Miss Flood, who were responsible for this feature of the event.

“The matrons were Mrs D Flood, Mrs J O’Connell and Mrs Martin and needless to say, they graced the occasion in every way.

“The secs, JJ Ham and N Smith, as well as Mr. TJ Weir and Mr. W A Cantwell also lent valuable aid and there is no doubt the great success of the dance was largely due to their untiring efforts.

“The dance was one of the most enjoyable ever held in Mullingar and these those who are present will retain pleasant recollections of it for a long time.”

Westmeath Examiner, February 16, 1935

A Mullingar Fire Outbreak

At about 7.15pm the previous Monday, the alarm was raised over an outbreak of fire at Church Avenue.

The fire was over the signboard of the large furniture establishment of Messrs P W Shaw and Company. Some members of the fire brigade were at once on the scene as well as some civic guards and a large crowd of spectators.

It emerged, however, that the outbreak was only in the early stages and though there was a good wind blowing at the time, it was found possible to extinguish it using just a hand hose and some fire extinguishing fluid.

It had not been necessary to call for the fire engine to attend.

Westmeath Examiner, February 17, 1945

Soldiers charged with causing malicious damage

“There is something very lax when we have soldiers damaging public property instead of protecting it, which is their duty,” said District Justice Beatty at Mullingar District Court, where two members of the Defence Forces stationed at Columb Barracks appeared before him charged with causing malicious damage to the premises of Mr William Grimes, publican, of Oliver Plunkett Street, Mullingar.

The judge said it was “scandalous” the way Mr Grimes’s premises had been treated, and that the military authorities should look after it.

Edward Kelly, a workman employed by Mr Grimes, said that on December 16, 1944, at about 10.46pm while he was in the tap room, a knock came to the side door in the laneway. He saw three or four soldiers outside.

The witness went to Mr Grimes and, as a result of Mr Grimes’s instructions, put out the light in the store. After he put out the light, the door was burst in. “They kicked it in,” said the witness, “and I recognised two of the soldiers.

“One of them said he would wreck the joint and ask that the boss be brought down. I asked them to go out but they would not leave.”

Mr Kelly said that all this time, the men were advancing into the premises and when they got near the bottling store, he closed the door leading from the tap room to the bottling store.

He went up to Mr Grimes and told him what was happening. He (witness) then got a stick, came down and gave one of the soldiers a few cracks of it. He succeeded in putting them out with the aid of the stick and it was at that stage that 11 panes of glass were broken.

The cost of the damage amounting to a total of £4 19s and 2d.

After more evidence was heard, the justice said he was satisfied that the defendants were present but he could not convict them on the evidence of identification presented to him. He dismissed the charges against both men.

Westmeath Examiner, February 12, 1955

Strange light over Westmeath

“Readers will recall references in recent issues to a strange light which was observed in the sky over Westmeath on January 12,” stated an item in the Westmeath Examiner of February 12, 1955.

The report stated that the paper’s Ballynacargy correspondent reported that some people in that area had also observed the light, and that in the previous week’s issue, L Purdon of Huntingdon, Killucan, had written that the light passed over the road at Huntingdon, about 200 feet above the ground. It looked like a football of light with a tail out of it, going at high speed towards Clonlost.

“It must have altered its course because it was next seen in the Raharney area,” the report continued. It went on to reveal that members of the Donnelly family of Lough Owel reported seeing such a strange light on the same evening. It came to earth in a field near the lake and when examined was in the form of a jelly-like substance.

Westmeath Examiner, February 13, 1965

Rahugh Dramatic Class present The Chestnut

Rahugh Dramatic Class had presented a three-act comedy, The Chestnut, by Eamon P Hughes, at St Hugh’s Hall on Sunday, January 24.

The event was, the Westmeath Examiner reported, an outstanding success and the packed house showed its high approval of a very well-produced and very well-acted comedy.

“The members of this drama group deserve the highest praise and the difficulties of obtaining a suitable cast from the residents of two townlands is a big problem which has been successfully overcome by the enthusiastic members of the group,” stated the report, adding that the previous year’s production - The Cobweb’s Glory - had proven so popular that the group had travelled with the production to various locations up to the previous Easter.

They also expected to go on tour once again with their newer production, The Chestnut, which, in the view of the writer, “far surpassed both in acting and entertainment any show they had presented in former years”.

“The seven artistes in this year’s play all gave splendid performances,” stated the writer.

The cast members were Jimmy Dunne and Matt Dunne, who portrayed the Kelly brothers, Mrs Brickland, who played the widow, Honor Kate Molloy, Gretta Scally, who played Maggie May Molloy, Jimmy Keenan, as the workman, Michael Harte, who played a neighbouring farmer, and Rosie Fitzgerald, who played the farmer’s daughter. The play was produced by Michael McNamara, NT, principal of Rahugh National School.

Westmeath Examiner, February 15, 1975

Gardaí guard councillors

A report on the front page of the Westmeath Examiner of February 15, 1975 revealed that detectives and uniformed gardaí had been positioned both inside and at the front entrance to the County Buildings in Mullingar the previous Friday during the course of a special county council meeting.

Their presence had been due to fears that scenes that had occurred at a recent meeting of Monaghan County Council might be repeated in Westmeath. What happened in Monaghan was that the members were locked in to the council chambers for a time by Provisional Sinn Féin.

At the outset of the meeting, the chairman, Senator Sean Keegan, asked the members for their co-operation in dealing with the 50-plus items on the agenda as quickly as possible.

He said it was for “a very obvious reason”.

“There is a little whisper that we are in some kind of danger here today, but I don’t care,” declared Mr Frank Waters, UDC. “I came here to transact the business on the agenda and nobody is going to terrify me.”

The meeting, however, was not interrupted and the agenda was completed in just over two and a half hours.

Westmeath Examiner, February 11, 1995

National Steam Centre of Ireland

Multi-million pound plans for a National Steam Centre of Ireland, a working steam museum and an art, cultural, literature centre at the railway station in Mullingar were unveiled and were set to be placed in the hands of the chief executive of Iarnród Éireann, David Waters, “in the next week or so”, the lead story on the Westmeath Examiner of February 11, 1995 revealed.

The plans formed, the report said, the nucleus of a major national and international tourist attraction and would be complementary to council plans for a major arts and cultural centre to be sited at the County Hall in Mullingar, for which funding believed to be in the region of £1m had been sought that week.

The report went on to state that the railway proposal was one of the flagship projects being promoted by the Westmeath Community Development Company, which handled the Westmeath application for Leader funding. As part of the proposal, they were suggesting the reopening of the 30-mile Athlone to Mullingar rail line and to run steam trains between the two towns.