Count John McCormack United States Library of Congress Wikimedia Commons
Members of the Fox Film Company visited St. Nicholas’s School, Claddagh, Galway today and filmed scenes for a “talkie” of Irish life in which Count John McCormack plays the principal role. Count McCormack himself visited Galway last week and selected this school as the most suitable for the purpose of the film, in which he will be depicted as a poor Irish boy who leaves his native land when quite young, and achieves fame in America. The scenes filmed today are supposed to show Count McCormack’s School days. The children assembled in front of the school and sang an Irish Song, while there were also Irish step dances, and final picture was of a rush by the children leaving school, amongst them supposed to be the youthful McCormack.
THE CATTLE FAIR
Kinvara cattle fair was held on Wednesday last, March 4, and must certainly be allowed to be voted the most successful since the fair was first held some twenty years ago. The street was packed about eleven o’clock, and the cattle were something splendid to look at, every one of them being in the pink of condition and of the best description. Buyers were present from all parts of the country and to Mr.Culligan, of Briarfield, belongs the honour of securing the biggest lot of well finished animals. He purchased over eighty, and was accompanied by Mr John Clune. Several other buyers were present from Limerick, Maynooth, Dublin and other places throughout Ireland, and prices unheard of for years were paid for two and three-year old cattle. In fact people were astonished with the prices they obtained. Dealers from Gort, Kilbeacanty, and Scariff made large purchases for other fairs. Many hundreds exchanged hands in a few hours at fancy prices. Even local dealers offered strong competition. The success of the fair now seems to be well assured for all future time.
HORSE AND CALF FAIR
Connemara Pony Photo: Olaf Kleinwegen Wikimedia Commons
Kinvara horse and calf fair was held on Wednesday last in February and was better than people expected. A big supply of colts and working horses, which were selling so cheaply for the past twelve months changed hands at prices very much enhanced in value for the approaching spring. The demand for the show horse is coming back to take his usual place in the farm again, notwithstanding the attempt that was made to oust him on the farm and road. A big number of calves from six months to twelve months brought from Limerick and Cork, found a ready market, and good prices seemed to rule all round.
THE POTATO MARKETS
Kinvara markets are just now going strong, and are well supplied with potatoes of the best kind. A great variety of new seed, notably Kerr’s Pink, whose name as disease resisters is famous, are now raised in the district, and command big prices, followed up by Arran Victors a good second, and Aran Chiefs, and a variety of others too numerous to mention. The Department of Agriculture is purchasing largely in the district, and sending the seeds all over the country. Early potatoes are realizing up to 3s per stone, and there seems to be an abundant supply of all kinds.
THE PIG FAIR
Photo: Sander van der Wel Wikimedia Common
Kinvara pig fairs have taken a most decided upward tendency. The last one showed a most decided improvement in prices, the only fault being that people did not ask enough. Pigs paid over 70s per cwt and a hundred were disposed of at that price. A great number of buyers were present from Limerick, Cork and Waterford, and Galway is now sending its quota to swell the number and promises to continue it. The monthly fairs are a great boon now for years, and people are more than satisfied with results and competition. The fairs and markets’ committee should now hold monthly fairs and markets all the year round. Large bonham markets are now held as a result and prices have gone up as high as £2 10s each, and in some cases more.
Fox movietone 2 by Twentieth Century Fox Wikimedia Commons
During Oireachtas week the popular manager of the Galway Cinema Theatre will provide an unusually attractive programme for his numerous patrons, and in addition to the films given below, two sensational pictures, procured at enormous expense, will be shown during the week.
Lovers of exciting incidents and dramatic situations will be catered for largely.
Amongst the dramatic pictures are;
“The Making of Bronco Billy,”
“The Truant’s Doom,”
“Revolutionary Romance,”etc.
The humourous pictures include;
“How they Outwitted Father,”
“The Invisible Hand,” etc.
“Bee-keeping,” a highly interesting and instructive film will also be shown, and should attract a large number of those engaged in the bee-keeping industry. A special feature will be the Gaumont Graphic, which shows news of the week in pictures. A musical treat of a very high standard will be given by the orchestral band each evening. There will be a complete change of programme on Sunday, Monday and Thursday.
Sweltering sun, choking dust, and a dome of bunting surmounting a riot of animated colour were the order at Gortshanvogh. The meeting differed from the usual “flapper.” Of course, all the “trickies” and “habituals” were there, but the neighbours, who feel they have a proprietary interest in “the races” and who assume the responsibility with a genial “You are welcome to Kinvara” air predominated. There was some indefinable something – something inherent, though unobtruding – which marked Kinvara meeting, apart from the usual type, and the day a pleasant outing (sic.). The course was hard, and many riders parted company with their mounts to meet its unwelcome embrace.
Details;
The VOLUNTEER PLATE £12; Hurdle – 2 miles
Mr P. Torpey’s Master McGuire
Mr J. O’Neill’s Distant Shore
Mr T. Quinn’s Waverley
Also ran – Silver Ring.
The TRADERS’ PLATE £10 Hurdle – 2 miles
Mr T. Quinn’s Waverley
Mr P. Donnelly’s Paravid
Also ran – Home Dock (fell)
KINVARA PLATE £20 Steeplechase – 2 1/2 miles
Mr P. Murphy’s Clare Girl
Mr J. O’Neill’s Distant Shore
Also Ran – Paravid
STEWARDS’ PLATE £8 Flat 1 1/2 miles
Mr J. O’Neill’s Distant Shore
Also ran – Solid Gold (fell) and Paravid
GORTSHANVOGH PLATE £8 Flat 1 1/2 miles
Mr T. McKenna’s Home Dock
Mr J. O’Neill’s Distant Shore
Mr T. Quinn’s Waverley
Also ran – Solid Gold (fell) and Golden Cherry
A failing fringe of glimmering light was lying gently still,
Along the rise of Errigal, and Aileach’s princely hill
E’en yet the globe of golden fire low on the ocean’s breast,
Had all the waves round Arranmore in ruby vesture drest;
Into the West one lonely cloud went moving slowly by,
Then blushed to find itself alone in all the vaulted sky;
Within the dells the flowers slept, the shadows stretched afar,
And in the dark blue sleeping lake was seen the evening star.
No more the brighter tines of day the falling brook caress,
The thousand dyes that sunset flings upon the waves flew less,
When from the glens among the hills where all day long it slept,
Like ghost of some forgotten age, an errie vapour crept,
It moved adown the whin-clad braes, it lay upon the heath,
It curled around the copeswood lane, and haunted fort beneath.
The fishers down by the olden beach had watched, and then in fright,
They crossed themselves, and whispered low,
“‘Tis the fairies out tonight.”
They gathered round and told strange tales in voices hushed with awe,
Of when that mist came down before what men and women saw
Within the haunted fort and out upon the hawthorn brae,
Or on the bogland lone, if they perchance had gone astray,
Strange eerie rows of little folk unknown to mortal sight,
Around a flame by nought supplied, that beamed a bluish light.
Dunguaire, Kinvara Irish Independent, 1950
But strange to tell among those folk of other worlds than ours
Were some who faded from our earth in youth like summer flowers,
Faded and passed from life away, and sank among the dead;
But when the fishers told their tales Red Michael shook his head.
Red Michael never yet believed in witch or fairy sprite,
Or any shady thing that walks in the watches of the nights;
and he only said when he heard these tales,
“Such things one never sees,
I never yet could have believed in stories such as these.”
Red Michael was a fisherman as bold as fishers be,
He had one child, a rosy boy, as fair as eye could see,
And when the mist came down the hill and crept along the brae,
The child ran from his mother’s side out thro’ the waning day,
And coming from his labour done thro’ the mist acreeping round,
Red Michael found his little boy asleep upon the ground,
And cold and weary were his limbs, his eyes looked strangely grey
He caught a cold and from that hour the baby pined away.
Red Michael’s heart is sad and lone, bereft of hope and love,
His boy has hearkened to the call and left to go above.
“My boy’s in Heaven,” Red Michael cries,
“But, ah, my heart is lone!”
But the country people shake their heads,
“‘Tis the fairies have their own,”
But when he heard them speak he said,
“Such things man never sees,
I never yet could have believed in stories such as these.”
A large schooner arrived in Kinvara during the week with a cargo of 200 tons of artificial manure for Mr Martin Coen, merchant, Gort. A large quantity of timber is piled on the quays belonging to Mr Mitchell, Saw Mills, Gort. It has been carried in from Finvara, Co Clare and Derrykeel, Gort. About four cargoes are now awaiting shipment to Liverpool and one ship is loading.
Mr Bartly Bermingham, The Quay, Kinvara, has opened a coal yard where best house coal can be had at moderate prices, which is a great boon to the poor people in the district.
A large seizure of snuff was made on board the steamer Jason yesterday, which arrived from New York on Friday last. There were ten casks altogether, and a great deal of ingenuity was exercised in the packing, so as to make the casks have the appearance of containing flour. On closer examination it was found that a long pipe was passed through the centre of the barrel at the head, the end of which opened immediately below the bung hole. This pipe was filled with flour, so that on taking out the bung, nothing but flour was visible.
The ten casks which were entered as flour, and consigned to a person in this county, were immediately seized and conveyed to the Custom house. The gross weight of the snuff is one ton. It will be in the recollection of your readers that on the last voyage of the Jason 12cwt. of tobacco was seized and one of the parties implicated in the transaction is at present undergoing six month’s imprisonment, the other having paid the sum of £150. The persons who are connected with the present case will be tried in Galway but the exact time is not yet known.
The Burren and Beyond 