Galway Advertiser 1990/1990_11_08/GA_08111990_E1_023.pdf 

Extracted text

WERE WE TOO HARD ON THE CENSORSHIP BOARD?
Dear Sir, I would like to con gratulate you on the page you devoted to The Cure at Troy (October 18th). I thought the review of the play was very well done, and the telephone inter view with Seamus Heaney was excellent, and deserves a place in any future presentation of the play. Congratulations to Jeff O'Connell. I was not happy with what you had to say about censorship in your editorial. The main thrust of that was that censorship is a very bad thing, that it had been used against some outstanding modern writers, including several Irish ones, and that we must be vigilant against it. I found this a very one sided and unfair treat ment. There is a good case for censorship. In the first place, every society, even the most liberal, exercises some censorship. Only a totally depraved society could be indifferent to the publication of material which advocated torture, child sexual abuse, racial hatred and so on. The real issue is not whether there should be censorship, but rather how much. In the second place, if one accepts that writing can do good and help to enlarge and refine human minds and sensibilities, I think that one had to ac cept that it can also have the opposite effect. If this is so, it is surely reasonable for a people to be concerned about the moral effect of literature. And if people come to the conclusion that a par ticular writer is doing harm, e.g., by advocating hatred of the Jews, they would be justly indignant, and seek to ban the offen ding work. The so called liberals would be with the pack - and so would I. You were very harsh with the Irish Censorship Board. I suppose that 99% of the material banned by them deserved it, but they certainly made some foolish and unjust deci sions - which were later repaired. But you seem to have no understanding of the plight of a weak and fledging state trying to establish its own identity in the shadow of an immense ly powerful and wealthy one. Wasn't it Jonathan Swift who said, "Burn everything from England except its coal"? Exag gerated, no doubt, but you can see his point. And he was no mean writer. I'm not without sym pathy for the plight of Irish writers banned from sale in their own country, and said he saw no sign of some of them should never famine there! This was a have been banned. But, in disgraceful dereliction of fairness, one should his responsibility as a remember that Ireland writer. Like Sean was like a tiny citadel O'Casey's denunciation of holding out against an the "craw-thumping con overwhelming invading fraternity men of Ireland", force, trying to maintain while he was lauding to the and promote its own skies that great maestro of distinctive identity and murder and slavery, world-view and avoid be Joseph Stalin! Are we Irish ing savaged by the outside Catholics supposed to hang world. The writers in ques our heads in shame, and tion usually published in cringe with embarrass Britain, and had great ment before the likes of wealth and prestige behind these? them. And they had the Ms. Carlson is quoted as consolation of knowing that the ban boasted their saying that "a censorship sales enormously. It would mentality still exists in seem that "Banned in Ireland". She might have E i r e " was a cachet added, "and in the United deliberately sought to in States and everywhere else crease sales. They ap too". But she probably parently saw themselves doesn't understand the as an embattled minority Irish situation. I am fond of defending freedom of Americans and well speech. In Ireland, they disposed to them, but I were often seen as the tools can't say that I am im of British cultural im pressed by those who think perialism. Indeed the the customs of the United same holds today for many Statesians are the laws of nature! media people here. Yours faithfully, ( F T . ) Colin Garvey, As for George Bernard The Abbey, Shaw's sarcastic wit at the Galway. expense of the Irish, I can't help thinking of his shameful report at the end of a tour of the Ukraine during the famine contriv ed by Stalin, in which millions of people died. He

CIlTiStlllCIS Y o u t h R e s c u e
soon find themselves in Dear Sir, The 1990 London Irish difficulties and out on the streets and cannot get Christmas Rescue of stranded young Irish boys back home." and girls who are in "Some of the young difficulties on the streets of people whom we come London with no jobs, no across sleeping in accommodation, and no cardboard cartons and hope, takes place this year plastic bags are in a on Monday, 17th December desperate state and in need and as usual is being of immediate help in the organised by the Thurles, form of food, shelter, and Co. Tipperary (now clothing, some even need internationally famous) medical attention. We do Youth-in-Need Organisa what we can to help them tion. This will be the fourth with what little resources year in a row that the are available to us. We try Youth-in-Need Organisa and bring home as many tion is organising this as possible on this special event. Christmas rescue!' said "According to our Seamus McGuire. "Our costs have contacts in London, there increased dramatically are just as many young this year and we are Irish people as ever sleeping rough on the desperately seeking funds from concerned people streets of London this year, in fact there could be lots and business interests who are interested in helping us more .said project director Seamus McGuire. "The with this humanitarian work that we undertake recent recession in each year, without England has created a prejudice to anyone. This slump in employment year I am hoping that opportunities in general in some companies will help London, and the young us with jeans, shirts, Irish people who go over jackets, shoes and jumpers unprepared are one of the which we also hope to take first and most vulernable with us to help those in groups hit by it. Many have need!' no resources and little "We will also help to look money going over, and they for any young boy or girl who is missing over there and try and get them home to their parents. I am urgently appealing for funds as a matter of priority and I am appealing to those readers of this paper who are concerned to send us what they can. I can be contacted at 2 Ard Mhuire, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Phone ( 0 5 0 4 ) 23857. Yours, Seamus McGuire, (Project Director).

THANKS
Dear Editor, On behalf of the Forum for People with Disabilities, we would like to express our apprecia tion and gratitude to the management and staff of Moon's for their kind assistance in our cam paign to ensure that people with disability can vote with dignity - and should no longer require a Cer tificate of their sanity! Yours, Forum for People with Disabilities.

W E

Editor's Reply: We thank you for your com ments on LIVEWIRES coverage of Heaney's play, but as you have criticised our "Comment" on Ms. Carlson's book, we are obliged to provide a reply. Although the discussion could be widened to take in other sorts of publications like those you have men tioned, since our "Com ment" was essentially con cerned with the activities of the Censorship Board in relation to Irish writers like those we named, this aspect of the question can be left for the moment. Many of the points you make fall into the category referred to by John Milton as a "fugitive and cloistered virtue". Your metaphors and manner of characterisation, for ex ample, are very revealing. You refer to "the plight of a weak and fledging state", Ireland as "a tiny citadel holding out against an overwhelming invading force", that "we Irish Catholics" need not feel in-

R E P L Y by theO Fof Athose writers who've had G can understand Ethe Y T likes T H E R A R V Irish timidated
Shaw and O'Casey. We would remind you that not all "we Irish" are Catholics. Is your choice of representative figures mere coincidence? And you appear to agree with the idea that these banned writers were correctly seen as "tools of British cultural imperialism". Surely this is insularity of the very purest kind? And it is unworthy of a people which has given so much to the culture of the world. If part of our pro blem is connected with the effects of colonialism, then equally another part can be directly traced to the narrow and intolerant at titude that sees Ireland as this "tiny citadel holding out" against - what? The cultural mainstream of Europe! This, our censors decided we should be pro tected against. With what devastating consequences only those who have suf fered under it can really say. It is surely unfair to im pute unworthy motives to

IS TYRONE A FOREIGN COUNTRY?
Dia Dhuit Mr. Burke I am sending a copy of this letter to the newspapers. Listening to you on RTE today made my heart ache. You said they had to go to Tyrone for a man to stand for them. That's crazy for a FF man when you claim as you do over the 6 Coun ties. "The Border" is a British imposed border. The late Cardinal O' Fiaich, whom we all respected, was a "Nor therner". Brian Keenan. for whom the Government jet flew over, was a "Nor therner". Taylor, McGuigan, Rugby Players, Deny City, soc cer players, Dunhill Cup winners, and even Dana all 'Northerners". Need I go on? Yes - I've seen you and colleagues at AllIreland's in Croke Park, applauding Tyrone foot ballers, Antrim hurlers, Down footballers, etc. Would you or your friends refuse an All Ireland ticket from Tyrone? No way

situation? If so, this is a their books banned in totatly inde/ensible Ireland. Was it supposed to cultural purism that would be a consolation to John make it impossible to take McGahern that he could seriously the observations have printed on the cover of his books "Banned In of anyone not Irish on anything to do with Eire"? Did that make up Ireland. Is it necessary to for the loss of his job? The be wedded to the mystic loss of friends, the soul of the country before ostracism of his family? your views count for And all for a book that anything? dealt frankly with sex. Our Finally, we would be censors, unlike those in most interested in learning Eastern Europe, were which Irish writers you preoccupied with sex and think "should never have some wholly imaginary been banned", and which purity of the Gael. quite We fail utterly to grasp you feel were justifiably kept out of our the import of your "tiny citadel". We await remarks about Shaw and O'Casey, unless, that is, your views with some anticipation. their political naivite was somehow to be made a justification for banning their works in Ireland. This is surely taking things too far! Your remarks about Ms. Carlson as an American are not only patronising but border on the insulting. Do you real Dear Editor, ly mean to imply that on We are at present index ly Irish people, or possibly ing the parish registers for only "We Irish Catholics", St. Patrick's Church, Galway City, as part of a National Geneological Project to computerise parish records. As part of the project we are compil By the way, where were ing a social history of the Mr. DeValera and Mr. parish. We would be extremely Childers from? You know, and so do I. If everyone, in grateful for any informa cluding many Dublin tion, photographs, or Deputies and leaders recollections on the Wood"went back" to where they quay, Eyre Square, Bohercame from, some might more. College Road areas end up much farther away during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Please send than Tyrone. to the above named Pro Slan, ject at 4 New Docks, MARY TIERNEY, Galway City. CASTLEGAR, G A L W A Y . Thanking you in grateful anticipation. Yours sincerely, Marie Mannion & Anne Murphy.

INSULATING IRELAND'S WINDOWS AND DOORS NEW SHOWROOM
*We are pleased to announce the opening of our new Showroom at Unit 1 Liosban House, Tuam Road (over Ulster Bank) from Tuesday, October 30,1990. Opening Hours: Mon-Fri L10 N C H H O U R O P E N U a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-l p.m. JOIN OUR GROWING LIST OF SATISFIED CUSTOMERS ELIMINATE DRAUGHTS IN DOORS & WINDOWS INSTANTLY & COMPLETELY * Custom manufactured and fitted! * No removal of existing windows necessary! * 70% noise reduction! * Easy to maintain--attractive fitting! * Double glazing at half the price! * Free estimates with no obligation! * Guaranteed & complete after sales care!

st. P a t r i c k s parish information WANTED

Commercial & Residential

Magnetic Interior Insulating W i n d o w s S DoorSeals c u t y o u r f u e l bill in h a l f ?
J

EXTRAS! Now rtr W. (091)
64649