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The Dublin Journal, June 28 1774

Deserter was headed for Mullingar

A notice published in the Dublin Journal of Tuesday June 28, 1774 offered a reward for information about an army deserter suspected of being on his way to Mullingar.

The soldier, Matthew Dalton, had enrolled in the army at Phillipstown just three months earlier, and deserted from the Dublin barracks.

Mr Dalton, who was just 21 years of age, measured, apparently, 6 foot one and a half inches “without shoes”, and had a sallow complexion and short dark brown hair.

The report said that when he deserted, Mr Dalton was wearing his regimental clothing, including his silver-laced hat.

He had been spotted in the neighbourhood of Tullamore, and prior to that between Naas and Athy, and the advert revealed that it was believed he was heading to Mullingar.

To anyone who secured and lodged the deserter, there was a reward of one guinea on offer.

The Dublin Journal, June 21 1824

Irish speakers in Westmeath

The Irish language was still commonly in use in parts of Westmeath, the Dublin Journal revealed in a report of a meeting of the Cheltenham branch of the Irish Society of London.

The society had been set up in March of that year with, it appeared, a view to promoting “the education of the native Irish through the medium of their own language”.

The Rev William A Evanson of London, proposed at a meeting of the society at the Royal Old Wells Pump Room in Cheltenham “that the education of this large portion of people of Ireland, in their native language, with a view to their reception of the sacred scriptures in that language, and their intellectual and moral improvement, is an object highly deserving the attention and support of the Christian public”. He quoted the following from the minutes of the Hibernian Bible Society: “The Irish language is not a mere provincial dialect.

“We have documents to prove that, excepting the neighbourhood of some of the large towns and along the east coast, it greatly prevails throughout Munster and Connaught, and in the county of Kilkenny; that it is much spoken in Longford, Meath, Louth and Westmeath, Tyrone and Donegal...”

Freeman’s Journal, June 25 1844

Educating engineers

Aspiring engineers looking to perfect their skills could do so in Westmeath in the 1840s, as Mr Fox of Castlepollard, had opened an ‘Engineer School’ in 1830.

In the Freeman’s Journal of June 25, 1844, he advertised that he had vacancies for boarders and external students, as four of his pupils had been engaged to work on railway surveys under the superintendence of Sir John MacNeill.

Stated the advert: “His school is supplied with three Theodolites, a large Spirit Level, an Improved Circumferenter, a Road Clinometer and for Astronomical Calculations connected with extensive Surveying, his Pupils practice with the Quadrant, Sextant and Artificial Horizon, a large Theoloite adapted to Solar and Stellar Observations, and a mounted Astronomical Telescope, deducing the Latitude, Longitude, Local Time and Magnetic Variation.”

The advert went on to explain that there was plenty of field practice involved: “The relative levels of the contiguous Westmeath Lakes taken, the lines of most efficient discharge for Draining the Bogs in the vicinity ascertained, and Levelling Lines reduced to Cutting and Banking Sections, as practised for Railways or Canals.”

Irish Examiner, June 18 1864

Marquis found his third ‘diamond’!

A brief item in the Irish Examiner revealed that it was being reported that the Marquis of Westmeath “is for the third time about to enter into ‘bonds’”.

“He is only 80 years of age, and was divorced from his second wife not much more than a year since,” commented the writer.

“First and second go alike, but the third turn. Well, no matter, but he may point the moral.”

Westmeath Examiner, June 28 1884

Investigation in Mullingar

An investigation was held at Mullingar courthouse into an application for compensation for malicious injury by a man named Michael Bellew.

“The injury for which he claims compensation was a gunshot wound inflicted on him by a party of men on the night of the 5th of Feb,” stated the report, explaining that Mr Bellew lived near the town of Ballymahon.

“Mr O’Farrell appeared for all the ratepayers of all the townlands, with one exception, upon which the tax, if granted, would be levied,” the item continued, adding that Mr J Shaw, a ratepayer, was present on behalf of the ratepayers of the Cloncallon townland.

“Evidence having been given in support of the claim, by three policemen and Bellew, the case concluded, Mr O’Farrell calling no witnesses,” the article concluded, giving no outcome but promising that a full report of the evidence would appear in the next issue.

Freeman’s Journal, June 16 1904

United Irish donations

A list of donors to the United Irish Parliamentary Fund published in the Freeman’s Journal included a list of names from Rahugh. Between them they donated £5, the greatest donation being of 5s. The donors were: John Coyne, Dan Dempsey, N Walshe, Thos Kelly, John Kelly, PJ Tehan, M Finlay, Wm Lowe, Jas Harte, Darby Ryan, Jas Ryan, Henry Munn, John Grumbly, John Killian P O’Reilly, P O’Neill, B O’Neill, Thos Carrol, Jas Cusack, P Scally, J O’Brien, B Slevin, K Molloy, M O’Brien, Pat Dalton, J Geoghegan, E Gavin, J Cusack, A Whelehan, J Dunne, J Claffey, A Cuskelly, D Geraghty, P Dalton, P Horan, Mrs Leo J Casey, J Cassin, Mrs Kelly, E Dobbyn, Mrs Daly, M Egan, T Duffy, Mrs Clavin, J Moran, P Sheerin, J Horan, J McDonnell, J Feery, E Flanagan, E Harte, J Coffey and T Daly.

The Freeman’s Journal, June 16 1914

The voice of Westmeath

Some thousands of people from various Westmeath districts had assembled at Crookedwood, about six miles from Mullingar the previous day, the Freeman’s Journal reported.

“On the picturesque shores of Lough Derravarragh, an interesting aeridheacht was held,” the item stated, adding that practically the entire force of the Mullingar Irish Volunteers, who at that stage numbered about 500, had marched there from the county town, where they were augmented by the Ballinalack and Multyfarnham Corps, until about 1,000 volunteers were assembled.

“At the close of the aeridheacht, and before the start for home, Mr John Ryan, TC, president of the Mullingar Corps of the Irish Volunteers, addressed the massed forces formed into ranks. He congratulated them on their magnificent turnout. The endurance and determination shown by them on the march that day indicated, he said, that they were prepared to follow the lead of a great and patriotic Irishman, Mr John Redmond.

Continuing, Mr Ryan said that the object of the volunteers was much more far-reaching than any petty quarrel with the Orangemen. The volunteers were out for the rights of free citizenship in Ireland, a nation, and to back up the policy of the noble and patriotic leader, Mr John Redmond.

Mr Ryan said there were many evil political influences and agencies at work to undermine the forces of nationality and the foundations of national liberty, and to try and perpetuate the government of the Ascendancy Party in Ireland. He said he would ask that vast assembly of volunteers before him, almost 1,000 strong, to give the lie to those who said they were not able to hold Ireland’s rights against the Orangemen of Ulster. He again warned them above all to be on their guard against the evil influences presently at work and to recognise John Redmond as their leader. He would also appeal to them to continue their drilling and their marches and after a while the Irish volunteers would be so organised, disciplined and equipped that no nation in Europe could interfere with the rights of the Irish people and their freedom.

Westmeath Examiner, June 14 1924

Living off cream and chickens!

The subject of the pensions being paid to ex-officials was exercising members of the Board of Health where they were discussing a motion proposing that the present pensions paid to ex-officials be reconsidered as the cost of living had gone down.

Responding to a query from one of the members, the board secretary said that about 20 people were receiving pensions and that these pensions were being paid out by the county council. The biggest pension – £205 per annum – was going to Mr Donnelly, the former master of Athlone Workhouse, while the ex-master of Delvin Workhouse was receiving £40 per annum.

Mr Hughes, the member who was proposing that the pensions be reduced, remarked to his colleagues that these pensions had been decided when the board was “glowing with gold” and when everything it had to sell brought in a big price.

“At that time you could get £60 for a cow, now you could not get £15. You could get £30 or £40 for a horse. Now you could buy a horse for a quid. Those men who got the pensions had always the fat of the land while the people who paid them had the lean days. They still have the best of it and we have the lean days still,” he concluded.

Mr Hughes’s motion was seconded by Mr O Lennon: “I believe it is nothing short of a scandal,” he said.” Take the former RMS of the mental hospital here. He resigned some years ago on the ground of ill health on a pension of £750 a year. A successor was appointed – and now the man that retired is RMS of a Scotch asylum and is still drawing his £750 a year.”

Mr Hughes agreed that this was a disgrace, while Mr Shaw said he too agreed with a lot of the remarks made, and said he was aware himself that Miss Elliot, a former matron of the county infirmary, was drawing £52 a year “and she living in England”.

Commenting on the amount being paid out to the former master of Athlone Workhouse, Mr Hughes stated: “That man lived on the fat of the land when he was in office. He had the cream of the world and was fed with chickens.”

Westmeath Examiner, June 16, 1934

All bets off

At that week’s Mullingar District Court, a bench warrant was issued by Justice Beatty in the case of the Attorney General versus an American living in Dublin, who was charged with absconding without paying bets and obtaining money by a trick at Ardivahan races near Mullingar the previous March 21.

The report stated that when the case had been before the court in March, the defendant told the court that he was born in Connecticut State in America, his father being a German engineer who had married a girl from Loughrea. The defendant himself was married to an English girl who was resident in Ireland for some years.

He further mentioned that he had been a student of medicine at Trinity College in Dublin but owing to a financial breakdown on the part of his father, he had to abandon his studies there and to turn to bookmaking.

On the defendant giving an undertaking to pay the bets to the parties to whom they were due before April 26, the justice had adjourned the case. However, there being no appearance at that June hearing when the case was called, Justice Beatty issued a bench warrant for the defendant’s arrest.

Westmeath Examiner, June 17, 1944

Ambitious plans

“What a town Mullingar would be if all the proposals made recently by Mr James Carey in his place as one of our town commissioners were carried out,” commented the writer of the Westmeath Examiner’s Around About column.

“Just to name a few, there would be a bridge from the Fair Green over the canal, a town hall, a covered marketplace, public baths and an aerodrome,” stated the writer.

Interestingly, 11 years later that bridge was built and it was known as the Carey Bridge – as is its replacement which was later erected a few yards further up from it. It wasn’t until 1971, however, that the first sod for the new swimming pool was turned.

Irish Independent, June 16 1954

Against the language

While the Irish language may have been in common enough use in Westmeath the 1820s (see earlier paragraph), It was clearly not much in use in the 1950s. An item in the Irish Independent relating to the annual general meeting of the Irish Nurses Organisation stated that the Westmeath branch had a resolution stating that proficiency in Irish should not be necessary for nursing appointments “as this language is not in general use during the nurse’s period of training”.

Irish Press, June 10, 1964

Off to Rhodesia

A young Mullingar nurse was among six young women from this country who responded to the call for nurses to travel to Rhodesia, the Irish Press reported.

Rosemary Keane from Earl Street, Mullingar had sailed the previous night from Dun Laoghaire to the UK. She and her five companions were to travel from there to London and on to Gatwick Airport. They would fly from Gatwick to Entebbe and then Ndola and their journey would end at Lusaka, where they were to be met by a delegation from the Ministry of Health.

Stated the newspaper: “These nurses have responded to the call for qualified nurses in Northern Rhodesia where there is a great shortage of nurses and doctors. It is hoped that a second group will be ready to follow within the next few weeks. They have been recruited through the Irish Sisters of Charity, St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin.”