Galway Advertiser 1993/1993_04_08/GA_08041993_E1_014.pdf 

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C O M M E N T

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L E T T E R S R E A D E R S T A K E U S T O T A S K
downright offensive. Harrassment of the prospective customer is neither condon ed nor encouraged by the reputable company for which I work, not by any of the other companies to the best of my knowledge. In my ten years experience in product promotion I have never attempted to in timidate nor witnessed any other promoter attempting to do so. (Perhaps it is the plight of the Challenged of Stature to feel intimidated by anything, man or beast, above a certain height?). Certainly I do not ap preciate being villified in print by a "journalist" who "lurks behind lentils" and "sprints behind fridges" in her attempts to avoid our "epidemic proportions". It

THE G A D Y RNL EMBARRASSING NATIONAL
A S T Saturday the K e y s t o n e C o p s , the Marx Brothers and the Three S t o o g e s w o u l d h a v e b e e n hard pressed to create greater c o m i c c h a o s than the normally s o l e m n and self-important duffers w h o run the lAintree Grand National. Except for d i e unfortunate fact that they took place " o f f c a m e r a " , the slanging match b e t w e e n supporters o f starter K e n B r o w n and flagman K e n E v a n s ( T h e T w o K e n s , geddit?) w o u l d m a k e Stan and O l l i e l o o k tame b y c o m p a r i s o n . It w a s , in short, a c o m p l e t e and utter s h a m b l e s , a fiasco o f international proportions (remember, it w a s b e ing televised a s far a w a y as Japan), and a huge embarrassment to the ' 'toffs'' w o r l d o f British h o r s e racing. A s Lady Bracknell m i g h t put it, " T o h a v e o n e false start, Lord Manton ( C h i e f Steward o f the Jockey C l u b ) , m a y b e regarded as a misfortune; to h a v e t w o false starts l o o k s like c a r e l e s s n e s s " . O r j u s t plain incompetency. T h e fact i s , that a major e v e n t like the Grand National is dependent o n a s l i m p i e c e o f tape, and a f e w retired officers w a v i n g red flags is simply ludicrous. T h e unfortunate remark m a d e by M r U p s o n about Ireland, uttered in the heat o f the m o m e n t and actually meaning just the opposite o f what it sounded like, i s a n indication o f h o w antiquated methods are in the sup p o s e d l y " p r o f e s s i o n a l " w o r l d o f the J o c k e y C l u b . O n an Irish race c o u r s e , s u c h a fiasco simply c o u l d not happen. A d d i n g to the embarrassment o f officials at Aintree w a s the presence o f specially invited O l y m p i c Federation g u e s t s , w h o w e r e asked to attend s o they c o u l d e x p e r i e n c e , at first hand, the expertise and organisational skills o f British sport a s part o f d i e bid to h o l d a future O l y m p i c s in Britain. O n e c a n only wonder what kind o f report they will bring back. Perhaps the Jockey C l u b c o u l d b e invited to put o n a c o m e d y s h o w during the interval o f o n e o f the e v e n t s ? But the real losers in this m e s s are the j o c k e y s , d i e trainers and the millions o f racing fans w h o w e r e s o bitterly disappointed last Saturday. A n d none m o r e than Jenny Pitman, trainer o f the horse that " w o n " the Grand National, Esha N e s s . It's time that British racing realised that w e are living in the 20th century and not t h e 19th, o r even perhaps the 18th century..

SLUR ON SUPERMARKET PROMOTERS?
Dear Editor, My letter is in reply to the article by Judy Murphy of Thursday, 18th March, en titled "Lurking in the Aisles". I am a Galway resi dent, an avid reader of your newspaper, and at the same time, a member of "the re cent hordes of people in supermarkets promoting products from sauces to shampoos". Promoting pro ducts is one of the very few aisles open to women like myself who have reared their families or are still in the process of doing so and whose financial cir cumstances compel them to return to work. I found Miss Murphy's remarks to be far from humorous, and frankly, is enough that I must stand for ten hours treating the shopping public with a far greater degree of courtesy than it frequently shows to myself and my associates. In conclusion, perhaps we, "the reading public", can take from Ms. Mur phy's assertion that she is "no longer going to enter tain these people", that she intends to desist from taking wide swipes at hard work ing women and get down to some constructive journalism.. Yours sincerely, A working woman and a housewife and a Galway Advertiser reader, Maud Connolly 13 Chesnut Close, Renmore.

Part of Galway Life and Death

I

N THE SECOND HALF of the last century the overcrowded condition of the graveyards of Galway city was an issue which faced the Town Commis sioners. At a meeting in mid A p r i l 1 8 7 3 one person mentioned that in the previous thirty years almost two and a half thousand burials had taken place in the little cemetery in the Claddagh.

NO

GUTS?
for the third party? What about the flat he bought for her in Howth? What about the suffering she caused the Bishop's family. Now yourself, if you can't get any better to do than having a skit at our bishops and priests you should get yourself off to Bosnia or some country that is suffering and hungry, and I assure you that it won't be the bishop and the clergy that will be troubling. Remember, they are only human and no one is without sin. from Mary McDonnell and a few w o m e n in Galway. Editor's Note: Modesty alone prevented J.O'C from printing his full name after the review of Annie Mur phy's book, but M s . McDonnell could have satisfied herself as to the identity of the writer by checking either the article on poet Les Murray or the last page of the Ents supple ment.

GARDA CONTROL
Dear Editor, I was intrigued to read recently that "comely young Ban Gardai" (Inspector Mick Curley) are to prowl discos in order to root out breaches o f bar exemption regulations. If they wish to keep their identity secret, I would strongly advise them to refrain from saying, "Alright, sir, let's be hav ing you", when they see some hot-breeches they fancy. Gary Egan Truskey East, Barna.

CHANGES AT THE TOP
. H I S w e e k Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Michael D . | H i g g i n s , announced the appointment o f D r . Lelia D o o l a n as head o f the n e w Irish F i l m Board, and D r . Gearoid O Thuathaigh as chairo f the founding c o m m i t t e e o f the proposed Irish language television tation, Telefis na G a e i l g e . Both o f these eminently qualified people have strong connections with Galway, and Minister Higgins' decision to make these appointments is not o n l y another indication o f his breadth o f vision and imagination, but is a l s o a recognition that the talent o f this country d o e s n o t congregate e x c l u s i v e l y in D u b l i n . L e n a D o o l a n i s a person o f d y n a m i s m and v i s i o n , w h o has already made I a very significant contribution to film in Ireland. Her association with the || G a l w a y F i l m Resource Centre has helped make that body o n e o f the most enterprising in d i e country, and die F i l m Fleadh has b e c o m e an eagerly awaited e v e n t o f national and international proportions each year. Dr. O Thnarhaigh i s o n e o f the m o s t highly-respected figures in the often conten tions w o r l d o f the Irish language. H i s d e e p l o v e o f the language and the culture, combined with a sharp and inquiring mind, makes him an ideal choice t o bring this n e w national station into existence.

Fort Hill was also over crowded and a small committee had been looking into the provision of further accom modation. That committee favoured the purchase of a three acre extension for the Fort Hill cemetery. The local rector was willing to approve of this means of meeting immediate needs but he had some reservations. In particular he felt that the area involved was too small and would not be sufficient. Among the sites being examined was one outside the immediate city area on Bohermore. The Bishop of Galway, Dr. John McEvilly, in this week one hundred and twenty years ago wrote a long letter to the Commissioners. In it he took a much stronger stand than that of Rev. Mr. O'Sullivan. He argued vehemently against the Fort Hill idea, emphasising the same argument about the limitations of the area as that put forward by therector.Indeed there is no doubt that it was Dr. McEvilly's letter which was really responsible for the decision to have the new cemetery at the top of Bohermore. So it was that the site was bought from the Board of the Erasmus Smith School. The older cemeteries in Galway with their ancient graves were to be closed. The development did give rise to some discussion as to the condition of the graveyards in the city and in the surrounding area. The bishop in his letter adverted to the fact that it was a shame that so many old burial places were treated with little respect. Others commented that cattle and sheep were allowed to graze on them. The establishment of the new cemetery was aimed to bring order and control into the whole question of interment and to give dignity to the last resting place of many Galway citizens. The new cemetery of 1873 is still called by that name but its newness is gone. It is now part of Galway life and death. Thomas P. O'Neill.

Dear Editor, This is a letter to J.O'C. You hadn't the guts to put your name on the paper on the 1st April issue concern ing that dirty book, full of lies. You had a right to get your facts right first. I hope you were look ing at the Late Show. No one can say that Peter is the Bishop's son. You have on ly her word for that. "Poor Peter", as you say, was brought up without seeing his father. How gullible ye Irish are, ye forget there are many, many Peters walking around our streets that don't know their mother or father and hadn't a sixpence in their pockets, and their poor mother screaming away in some home. Now let me explain to you about the Bishop. He didn't leave down that so and so. What about the thousands she took from the Church account that Bishop Browne put in? And only some good man gave it to the Bishop to pay back. And what about all the thousands she got on the side and said she wanted

TAKE IT EASY, L E N !

CHARGING A T T H E DUMP "RIDICULOUS"
Dear Editor, Congratulations to Galway Corporation on their decision to introduce charges for cars using the dump at Carrowbane. This must surely rank among the most ridiculous schemes they have ever come up with. What logic is there in penalising people for putting their refuse where is should be put? Is there a shortage of refuse to be collected by the Corporation trucks? What scheme will they devise next? Coin-slots on litter bins. I am all for the charging of commerical

Dear Editor, Robert Louis Stevenson says: "The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as hap py as kings." Robert Louis Stevenson was, in many ways, a humbug. It's almost midnight. I'm sitting in a room lit only by the eerie light of a wordprocessor. The radio DJ has said goodnight (mauybe forever): I am alone. Com pletely alone. The night is slipping away. Keats says: "Already with thee! tender is the night..." Keats was, in dumpers, but I fail to see many ways, a birdbrain. why the ordinary person I am re-evaluating my ex dumping household refuse istence; questioning the fun should be charged. We have damental principles on spent long enough educating which 1 have based my life. the public not to spoil our I sit in the dark and think of countryside with their litter. what is to come, and what The bright sparks in the has passed (or rather who Corporation seem hell-bent has passed?). on undoing this good work. Tired of looking to birdWell done, Galway Cor poration! Your scheme for brains and humbugs for the the rubbish is just that - answers, I turn to the "In ner L e n " , and finally rubbish! decide: "The darkest hour is Yours, that preceding the examina Gerry Bartle;, tion." 151 Tirellan Heights, Meditatively yours, Headford Road, Len Harrow. Galway.