Ballinasloe Official Town Website - All the latest news from Ballinasloe, Co. Galway
  • Home
  • About
    • How to get to Ballinasloe
    • Contact
    • History of the Fair
    • Walks and Trails
  • A to Z
    • Remote Working
  • Shops
  • Sports
    • Sports Hub
  • News
  • What's On

BALLINASLOE

News

The Wartime Trips to Ballinasloe

28/1/2021

0 Comments

 
by Bernard Larkin
Retired Fire Station Commander Bernard Larkin a native of Derrymullen and residing in the village pens a warm recollection of winterime trips to town in the forties.
Main Street Ballinasloe 1940
Main Street Ballinasloe, 1940
“Go catch the pony “ 

The above order was gleefully received by many a young fellow in the 1940’s because it heralded a trip to town.  Visits to town were few and far between in the 1940’s as it was War Time (Or the Emergency )  and money was scarce.  Yet, certain tasks had to be done such as payment of rent and rates, (no electronic transfers in those days), so a trip to town was necessary a couple of times each year.

Now to the pony, I think he had a good idea when those trips were due because he immediately moved to the furthest end of the field and had to be coaxed to the middle by a fistful of oats in a tin basin.  This always did the trick. It is always an equine treat to have oats.

The big tub trap was then pulled out and the pony fitted with his harness (nicely cleaned and polished) and we were ready for the road.

The road itself deserving of a mention here for it was no shiny tarmacadam surface, but a loose sandy and sometimes potholed one.  It was not until we reached about 3 miles from Town that a tarred road was encountered.
In Winter, this presented a problem in frosty weather as there was an ever-present danger of the pony slipping and injuring himself or the passengers or breaking a shaft of the trap which would lead to an expensive visit to John Lyons who was a coach builder in Dunlo street.

The slippage danger was countered by the fitting of the horseshoes with special frost nails which gripped the road surface and in later time, patent studs were used on the shoes.

Having negotiated the long slope of Brackernagh, the next step was to find stabling for the pony. At that time most public houses had a few stables in the yard for their country customers, and over the years most people became regulars at their favourite pub/grocery, as most pubs had a small grocery counter attached where the essentials could be purchased.

There was a kind of segregation practiced also where pubs in Dunlo Street catered for people from Clontuskert/Laurencetown/Kiltormer areas while Society Street accommodated those from Ahascragh/Kilconnell/Aughrim districts.  Bridge St/River St catered for the “Roscommon people”.

Some people would take a small sack of hay or maybe a pound or two of oats to fuel the pony for the journey home.  The oats were fed by means of a nosebag which was a small sack that could be attached to the horse’s head, then he could have lunch on demand.  Some yards had a stable boy, usually a 12/13-year-old who kept an eye on things in the hope of a shilling or two of a tip in the evening.  None of them became rich as a result of this, but it led to one story about a stable boy who burst into the bar where the animal’s owner was having a glasheen with the following announcement.  “Sir, sir, there’s a hole in the horses nosebag and the oats is falling out, it will be all gone before he has it half ate.”

During the short Winter days, some provisions had to be made for the journey home.  Lighting was one.  Most traps were fitted with a pair of carriage lamps, nice square glass fronted units with a spring-loaded tube underneath into which was fitted a great big candle.  This produced about one candle power which just about made it visible to the few other road users.  Cars were such a novelty then that there was always the danger of a pony taking fright at those strange machines. 

Some standout memories from those visits to town were:
  • The sight of bananas in Rafters grocery shop window in Main Street after the War
  • The visit to Dermot Connollys (now Salmon's) shop where a whole big room was filled with toys in the weeks before Christmas.
  • Being taken to the matinee in the Central Cinema on a wet country fair day to see a Hopalong Cassidy film.
  • The sight and sounds of hundreds of cattle being driven to the Railway sidings at Cleaghmore to be loaded on wagons, mostly going to Co. Meath.  
The big adventure to town always ended with tired youngsters, parents and ponies ready for an early bed.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    BACK

    RSS Feed

    CLICK HERE to read the Latest Ballinasloe News Articles

    If you have you any news - 
    email us!
    ​

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

The Town Team was set up by BACD Ltd. to revive the fortunes of Ballinasloe and its hinterland. With the main focus to build on the town’s many strengths, change existing negative perceptions and bring about measurable improvements in the town centre economy and its wider social value.
Contact Us
Service Directory
Homepage
Links
How to get to Ballinasloe
Privacy Statement
Sitemap
Latest Ballinasloe Death Notices
Picture
Ballinasloe Area Community Development Ltd.
Ballinasloe Enterprise Centre 
Creagh
Ballinasloe
Co. Galway

Email
All generic photos and images have been sourced and are free of copyright or are clip art images free of copyright.  Photos of Ballinasloe have been donated by BEC.  If you have any photos that you would like included on the website please email us
Copyright © All rights reserved, 2022 BACD 
  • Home
  • About
    • How to get to Ballinasloe
    • Contact
    • History of the Fair
    • Walks and Trails
  • A to Z
    • Remote Working
  • Shops
  • Sports
    • Sports Hub
  • News
  • What's On