Loughrea Town Commissioners, Minutes, 1909-1920

Volume of handwritten minutes of the proceedings of Commissioners meetings.  Includes

• ‘That a rate of six pence in the pound on house property and one fourth that summon land within the township be struck’ (6 December 1909).
• Includes signed declarations of office by the Commissioners (6 December 1909).
• Messrs Ward, Sweeney and O’Flaherty were appointed a Committee to prepare a memorial or petition to Local Government Board setting forth the present condition of the waterworks machinery and pointing out the necessity of making provision for the upkeep of the water supply to the town by having the recommendations of Mr Bergin C.E., adopted by the District Council carried out’ (18 April 1910).

That we the Loughrea Town Commissioners in meeting assembled take this opportunity of expressing our disappointment and disapproval of the action of the majority of the members of the Galway County Council when the appointment of Returning Offices was made.  Their action, in not recognising the claims of Mr P.J. Finnegan, a Veteran Nationalist, is worthy only of the men who voted for a man unknown to Galway Nationalists. And we call on the Electors to remember their action when they again seek their votes for the purposes of furthering their own ends’ (12 December 1910).

• The question of procuring a Quarry having ain engaged the attention of the Board after considerable discussion the Town Sergeant was instructed to report on the most suitable sites and to take the necessary steps to procure same’ (15 May 1911)
• That we condemn in the strongest possible terms the recent poisoning of the Co. Galway Hounds and assume the Master and members of the Hunt that the people of this neighbourhood have no sympathy for such dastardly act’ (20 November 1911).
• Letter from the Local Government Board regarding to public lighting advising that, ‘It would be necessary that a scheme for lighting the town by means of electricity and borrowing therefore should be undertaken by the Sanitary Authority, the Loughrea Rural District Council, and that a licence or Provisional Order should be obtained from the Board of Trade to which body the Commissioners should refer as to the cost of procuring such authorisations. The Commissioners of Public Works do not at present make loans to Sanitary Authorities for electric lighting schemes’ (19 February 1918, pp2-3).
• ‘Read Circular letter from the Committee organising Home Rule Demonstration at Galway on 15^th August and requesting that two members of the board might be nominated to act on the Committee’ (5^th August 1912).
• ‘Mr Ward explained to the meeting the result of the interview with the Sisters of Mercy in reference to the site of the burned houses in the Main Street.  The Sisters of Mercy while not prepared themselves to build would let or sell the site for building purposes’ (1 December 1913).
• 'Dr Geraghty introduced a deputation of the local Electric Lighting Co. with a request that the Board should contribute a sum of £100 per year towards the public lighting of the town under the new system of lighting by Electricity.  This was agree to, the bond to be signed by the Chairman and Clerk on behalf of the Board’ (20 April 1914).
• 'Resolution from the Athlone Urban District Council was read and adopted, ‘being of the opinion that it is only through the Irish Party that the Town Tenants of Ireland have achieved, or can hope to achieve any benefits, call upon the Irish party to take over the complete control and organisation of the Town Tenants Movement’ (7 February 1916).
• ‘That we the Loughrea Town Commissioners, as representatives of the people of Loughrea, object to the description of this district, given by County Inspector Clayton in his evidence before the commission of Inquiry into the recent insurrection, when he stated “Loughrea was one of the ‘Black Spots’ under his charge”.  During the recent trouble Loughrea was not disturbed, and this was testified to by the colonel in charge of the military of (sic) in this district at that time.  We admit that frequently in the past when the people’s fight against the cruel and oppressive Landlordism had to be waged or when the national principles were at stake, the people of Loughrea were foremost in the fight, and in the eyes of the law our district might then be regarded as disturbed, but we resent the appellation now applied by the County Inspector and we call for its withdrawal. (5 June 1916).
• A letter was read from the LGB transmitting copy of a report of their auditor (Dr Boughey) on his extraordinary audit of the accounts of the commissioners and of the Town Clerk up to 22^nd inst.  The Board requested that the Town Commissioners should at Special Meeting summoned forthwith for the purpose remove Town Clerk from office and take steps for the appointment of a suitable person in his stead of whose qualifications and ability to fill the position they should be fully satisfied.  Mr McNamara tendered his resignation which was accepted…’ (4 November 1918).
• A letter was read from the LGB transmitting copy of a report of their auditor (Dr Boughey) on his extraordinary auditof the accounts of the commissioners and of the Town Clerk up to 22^nd inst.  The Board requested that the Town Commissioners should at Special Meeting summoned forthwith for the purpose remove Town Clerk from office and take steps for the appointment of a suitable person in his stead of whose qualifications and ability to fill the position they should be fully satisfied.  Mr McNamara tendered his resignation which was accepted…’ (4 November 1918).
• 'That a vote we tender to the Lady Mayoress our sincere sympathy on the death of the Lord Mayor of Cork who as cruelly murdered’ (29 March 1920).
• ‘That Lord Lascelles be requested to transfer the Tolls & Customers to this Board’ (6 April 1920).
• ‘…the Commissioners have been asked to surrender their office by Mrs Canavan and as they will then be without a place of meeting that Lord Lascelles be requested to put the Town Hall in repair with a view to giving us accommodation there’ (19 April 1920).
• ‘A letter was read from Dáil Éireann asking the Board if there were any R.I.C. men in Loughrea who had left the force through love of county and if so would they find them work.   Approved and it was decided to co-operate with Dáil Éireann in the matter’ (6 September 1920).
• Letter from the County Surveyor’s Office with recommendations on the number of labourers required to keep the streets in proper repair;  ‘…I beg to suggest that under existing circumstances the Commissioners would be doing extremely well by employing constantly two labourers and one carter, and a gander, for permanent work on the streets.  This small gang of course must be increased by temporary labourers on special occasion, such as attending crushers and cleaning after Fairs & Markets etc…’ (4 October 1920).
• ‘That we tender to the bereaved relatives of the Lord Mayor of Cork, Aldermen Terence McSweeney, T.D. our deep sympathy upon his death while Ireland mourns the loss of one of her truest sons and greatest Martyr, she is proud of the sacrifice made by Alderman McSweeney in his county’s cause, a sacrifice which will cause his name to live and be venerated in this County’s history.  He (the Chairman) said the subject of that resolution needed no word from him to comment.  The sacrifice made by the Lord Mayor of Cork was one of the greatest in human history and in common with the vast majority of his fellow county men hoped and prayed that it would not be made in vain…’(28 October 1920).