‘Sinn Féin Volunteers’ try to break up Galway recruitment drive

February 29th, 1916

Recruiting meeting in Galway for Connaught Rangers: About 60 "Sinn Féin Volunteers" arrived and tried to force way through . Only 5 or 6 police present. Volunteers' action denounced by organisers as "cowardly".

Aughnacloy: Mr William Coote, JP, Unionist, returned unopposed to Commons for South Tyrone. Mr Coote expressed on behalf of the party himself very pleased that there had been no contest, thanks to their Nationalist friends. He admired the spirit of fair play and the agreeable way in which the Nationalists worked, at least in that part of Ireland. A contest might have created great unpleasantness at a time when they all had something far graver to think about.

At the Cork Police Court the majority of the magistrates dismissed charges brought against a man named Thomas Kent under the Defence of the Realm Act of having made statements likely to prejudice recruiting in Ireland and of having in his possession a five-chambered revolver and ammunition.

Mr Michael Walsh, labourer, residing at Clifden, near Bennettsbridge, Co Kilkenny, is reported to have 5 sons serving with the Colours.

“Rubber shares cheerful”: Plantation rubber advanced to 5s 9d per lb, and the tone of the share market was distinctly “cheerful”.

Mary Ann Kane of 16 Stafford Street, the wife of a soldier on active service, charged by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children with neglecting her three children. Insp J Slattery said that the defendant, when asked to account for the state of the children, told him that she could not get out of debt of a money lender. She had paid 3d for the use of a shilling for one week. If the money was not promptly paid it was recovered by violence and intimidation. Last week she borrowed 9s and got 4s worth of fish, and for this she was charged 16s 10d for the week.

The Magistrate: “Thirteen hundred per cent interest!”

Mr Lidwell, solicitor, said he knew of cases in the Ringsend district where the poor people paid as much as six shillings for a loan of £1. The defendant was placed on probation and the 23s a week separation allowance which she was receiving [from the army] was ordered to be administered by the Soldiers and Sailors Society.