Source: The Tuam Herald, 4 June, 1887

On Tuesday evening Mr Peter Murphy, a Loughrea car owner was down here with a fare and while feeding, his horse took flight and started, taking the Tuam road at break-neck speed, and were it not for the care and good judgment of the mail car driver the runaway horses would have run right into the mail car and killed both man and horse. It is an awful thing to have a horse in charge of a man who is not competent to mind it. Another cause came within my notice while driving lo Loughrea, where a springer cow was killed, the value of which is £20. I think that like land-grabbing there should be some protection afforded to men who have no other means to live on but posting, and it often strikes me when I see these men whom I write about going day after day to the station to get a job and no job to be had. I ask often how is trade? “What can it be when all the by shopkeepers and small farmers aro doing the posting now?” I have a nice little tale to tell you about Colewood and we ask the world is it fair that when a tenant brings in a charge which be can prove, not be allowed to make it, but the Herald is now open and something very startling will appear, a short history of that village from ’46 to the present time to show how the landlords’ rent roll fell, and how the bailiff farm got large and the tenants became paupers no favour all fair play, there is no use in blinding the public any longer.

Not enough of sewerage yet, not at all, last year we laid out ₤400 and built a tank and still on wet nights the north gate street is a flood. The last wet one we had I wanted to have a look into a friend’s house and started to make it in time ie  before ten, when to my surprise I could not get nearer than the middle of the road, Mr Murphy’s workshop was flooded and while I heard many of the inhabitants of the locality saying, Lord have mercy on you Martin Loftus, if you were here tonight we would put the blame on you, but now there is so many we don’t know who to blame. One old woman remarked, I thought that it was out at the river  green that this water was to go, but  may be the system in changed. They want more sewerage now from RP Nolan’s to meet the tank at the north gate and this according to the plan is to draw all the slaughter-houses in town down. Lord help the old people at the north gate when this is completed.

We have a Dispensary Committee and they often meet, 4 forms a quorum and should 5 or more attend, the Secretary and Chairman have to stand up. for there is only 4 chairs. The late Secretary would not stand it and so resigned. Athenry is going ahead very fast and some new buildings are cropping up everywhere and plots for building purposes are looked after every side of the town, not a moment too soon, as l am told a French Doctor has certified that Athenry has one of the best Iron Spas in Ireland, and only for the lack of accommodation in past years visitors would patronise it. Sunday excursions are talked of here and will begin shortly, We are now blessed with having a ground where Athletic Sports can be held, it belongs to the County Cricket Club, and very neatly laid out, quite near to the Railway Station, the first match will be played during the week,

We have new fairs now in Athenry, the first Friday in the month, and they are beating out all the fairs around for selling, the seller can get more for his beast here than at any other fair, for they have no trouble only to load and away while they are counting them at another fair. Cattle bought at Athenry are sold in the best markets in England, this is no puff, and another thing there need be no custom paid for these new fairs, for the right to collect it should be shown, I will ask who ever saw the tolls list, and by whose right are they collected, it was the people who started the fairs and worked them up. I said that we were going ahead here so we are, a short time ago about we knew very little about what a wool market was. Not so now we have the first market in the west held on Friday and as like the new fairs there is neither craneage or custom charged, the principal buyers are Messrs Gleeson and Smith, Athlone, and several other buyers attend regularly.

I understand that some properties round here are to adopt the Plan, and a great public meeting will be held shortly. Some of the M Ps are to attend, it is nearly time we had not a public meeting since February ’80 only every time a member would be passing to some other place, get him to address the town’s people, it is expected that this is to be the largest meeting held since the Irish National League was established.

I take a look at the Freeman some times and I see to-day that Mr.  Sheehy, M P, gave a little encouragement to young fellows to emigrate. I am sorry that too many are going and to my mind he sought to keep that advice, for if the boys go what good can he or the Party do, they could not hold Saunder’s fort an hour, or they would not trouble the Sheriff to come back to Mr Kirwan’s cottage. any man that leaves Ireland now is a rat, and whatever country he goes to should tar him or brand him a deserter.

The grant annual gathering of the Gaelic, men will be held here on Thursday week, it will be the finest gathering of the Clans yet held and Clubs from the Shannon to the Lee, will be there, from distant Meelick to Castlegar, and from Peterswell to Dunmore, the life and glory of the County. The parishes who have not yet a club should show some signs of having one, the upper ten can have their games and amusements, but an idea bas got into peoples heads that the country boy who after his work, is not fit to amuse himself at the grand old game hurling that strengthen the muscles and makes light the sleep of the wild geese, with her language her games must be preserved.