County Galway Board of Health & Public Assistance : Minute Books (1921-1941)
Minutes of proceedings of County of Galway Board of Health and Public Assistant meetings (also known prior to February 1922 as the Executive Committee on Union Amalgamation, then the County Hospital, Homes and Homes Assistance. The Board, which initially had seven members, held its meetings in the Courthouse, Galway, every two months and from the late 1930’s held monthly. Minutes include and record attendance, correspondence, reports from various Officers, such as the Medical, Tuberculosis, and Sanitary Officers, County Dentist, Auditor, and business transacted, the agenda is also often included
Matters discussed include the full range of areas of responsibilities of the Board such as financial matters, the management and maintenance of dispensaries, hospitals and county homes, such as the Mental Hospital Ballinasloe, the Central Hospital in Galway, the Children’s Home in Glenamaddy (transferred to Tuam in 1925), the Magdalen Asylum in Galway, the Woodland Sanatorium, Galway, and the County Home in Loughrea; proceedings relating to Medical Charities Acts dealing with dispensaries, together with matters relating to vaccination defaulters, tuberculosis section, and Boarded out and Hired-out Children, and also to staff issues such as appointment of staff, superannuation and so on, and other issues such as home assistance, and disused Poor Law Union workhouses and property. Following the abolition of Rural District Councils the Board conducted business under the Sanitary Acts, Labourers Acts, and Burial Grounds Acts; dealing with the waterworks, pumps and sewers, and sanitary issues in general, such as relating to the disinfection of premises and abatement of nuisances, dairy and cow shed inspections, the letting and repair of cottages, often giving the tenant’s name, and the provision and maintenance of burial grounds; also includes business relating to the lighting of towns, licensing of places for public dances, criminal injuries, and school medical treatment and child welfare schemes. The Board also dealt with the acquisition of derelict sites under the Derelict Sites Act 1940 and also with the provision of stations and equipment under the Fire Brigades Act 1940.
The Minutes are generally printed and pasted into the volume. From 1938 they are in printed book form.
The Minutes are generally signed and dated by the Chairman, often in the 1920s in Irish. From December 1930 they are signed by the Commissioner appointed by the Minister for Local Government following the dissolution of the Board.
Includes various annotations such as noting that the Minutes were submitted to Galway County Council or noting that an order or work was completed or ‘Done’.
Average size 400pp
Restricted Access.