Posted in Posts and podcasts

Kinvara – 1920

Connacht Tribune 19th June, 1920

The Quay, Kinvara Photo: TO'D
The Quay, Kinvara
Photo: TO’D

Village invaded
On Sunday night Kinvara was invaded by a crowd from Kiltartan and Ardrahan returning from the Belharbour sports who kicked up a noise that the people were in fear and terror of their lives all night. The crowd made a sweep on a Connemara hooker that was lying at the quay and commanded the skipper, with a loud shout of “Hands up,” to hand over a jar of poteen which he had in the boat. On getting it they carried it off in triumph. After imbibing a bit too freely of the contents, a row arose over the division of the spoils and the jar was smashed to atoms.
The owner of the boat took a bicycle from the fellow who captured the poteen and in throwing the machine into the boat he missed the mark and it fell into the tide. The owner of the bike and his confreres cycled to Duras to intercept the boatman “homeward bound,” and after chartering a small boat they were informed that the bike had been thrown into the sea at Kinvara.
They returned to Kinvara and kept shouting and singing at intervals until seven or eight pm. One or two of the party took possession of a ladder and went on the roof of a thatched house, and with lighted candles threatened to set it on fire. Another batch of them threw cars and everything they could lay hands on into the tide and did a lot of damage, while broken bicycles were found on every road.

Posted in Posts and podcasts

Burren Barracks protest – 1929

Connacht Tribune 1909-current, 02.03.1929, page 7

New Quay, County Clare
New Quay, County Clare

Poteen running

Over one hundred and fifty signatures, headed by that of the parish priest, have been appended to a petition of protest against the proposed removal of the civic guards’ barracks from New Quay, County Clare. The petition has been forwarded to the Chief Commissioner and is as follows …

read more on In the news at theburrenandbeyond.com

 

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Gorumna Island – 1914

The Spanish American, 29th August 1914 p16

Poitin or Poteen Bottles Photo: Ethanbentley  Wikimedia Commons
Poitin or Poteen Bottles Photo: Ethanbentley
Wikimedia Commons

The County Galway police have made a large capture of ‘potheen’ barrels, tubs, and a fully working still at Gorumna Island. They left the mainland in the middle of the night and concealed themselves on the Island until they discovered smoke rising from the still, when they rushed the place. They captured three of the smugglers and 4,400 gallons of wash.