Clifden Poor Law Union archive collection, Descriptive List, GPL3.pdf

Clifden Poor Law Union
deem it necessary under the exceptional circumstances of the case to question the legality of
the expenditure…‟ (GPL3/63, p189).
In January 1889 the issue of the „…unfortunate state of indebtedness’ of the Union was again
discussed, when the Board asked the Local Government Board to ‘…procure for us the power
of borrowing a sufficient sum to be repaid with 3½ per cent spread over a number of years.
We could then work our Union in a satisfactory manner. We feel that in bringing this matter
under the notice of the LGB we are conveying to them the wishes of the Ratepayers of our
Union’ (GPL3/66, p449). At the same time the Board again recommended the ‘…construction
of a line of railway from Galway to Clifden‟ (GPL3/66, p450).
Finally in May 1889 the Board was able to express its appreciation to the Chief Secretary
‘…for the warm interest he takes in the improvement of our long neglected county evinced by
his statement that he is about to carry out the recommendations of Sir John Alport’s Royal
Commission to have the Railway constructed from Galway to Clifden 9 . We feel that on the
carrying out of this measure the prosperity of our country depends, and we trust the Bill will
meet with no obstructions…’ (GPL3/67, p208).
On 3 December 1890 the Board resolved „We the Board of Guardians of the Clifden Union
representing the inhabitants of Connemara at this our first meeting since the Galway Grand
Juries gave their sanction to the construction of the Galway and Clifden Railway feel it our duty
to tender our grateful thanks to Her Majesty’s Government for the munificent grant of £264,000
for the construction of the line and especially to the Right Honourable Arthur J Balfour, Chief
Secretary for Ireland, for his unwearied exertions in having the Railway Bill passed. We also
tender our best thanks to the Grand Juries for the cordial manner in which they gave their
sanction to the proposed measure. We also feel our best thanks are due to Sir Ralph Cusack,
the Chairman of the M.G.W. Railway Company and his co-directors for the manner in which
they have co-operated with the Government and the Grand Juries thereby securing to our
county the inestimable benefit of internal communication’ (GPL3/69, p282b).
It took several years to build the railway, and various delays were encountered with different
contractors. The Board, in June 1892, urged the contractors to ‘press on the work’ of railway
construction and noted that the „...works appear to be neglected this year as they were last
year when they might be most satisfactorily proceeded with’ (GPL3/73, p211).
In September 1892 the Board wrote to the Chief Secretary of Ireland regarding the debt
incurred by the Union under the ‘Relief of Distress Act of 1896, when ¾ of the whole
9
The Light Railways (Ireland) Act was passed in 1889. Under the Act, the Midland Great Western Railway Company (MGWR)
constructed rail links to Achill and Killala in County Mayo and to Clifden in County Galway. The line from Galway to Oughterard was
opened on 1 January 1895 and the rest of the line came into operation in July. There were six stations between Clifden and Galway,
each about 7 to 8 miles apart, Moycullen, Ross, Oughterard, Maam Cross, Recess, Ballynahinch. The total length of the line was 48
miles, 550ft.
Cartlann Chomhairle Contae na Gaillimhe „…cuimhne dhoiciméadach Chontae na Gaillimhe a shealbhú, a chaomhnú agus a dhéanamh inrochtana’
Galway County Council - Archives „…to acquire, preserve and make accessible the documentary memory of county Galway’
xiv.