Galway Advertiser 1991/1991_04_04/GA_04041991_E1_019.pdf 

Extracted text

G F R A N K F A H E Y

A

L

W

A

Y

MINISTER

FAHEY

with private secretary FRANK
FAMILY LIFE As he was off to Ger m a n y on Government business on Sunday Frank Fahey opted to spend Saturday with his family. Being a politician means little family life and little time for oneself. The minister is away from home a lot and much com munication with his fami ly is done by phone during the evening. If this week was representative nohodv could ever accuse Minister Fahey of being lazy. There was little free time, and a lot of rushed meals. But, as he pointed out himself, a lot of his work was messenger boy stuff for constituents. Two days in Leinster House showed how little time deputies spend in the house working on legislation. Although he feels the system is flawed, F r a n k Fahey is not very op timistic about change. " W h e n I was elected first, in 1982 I was full of e n t h u s i a s m , but, then realised nobody was real ly doing anything to change things," he shrugs.

WYSE.

Avenue and Holy Family schools for special children. Then it was back on the road. Minister Fahey had to represent the Govern m e n t at a d i n n e r in Wicklow and continue on to Dublin for another function. The first dinner, at Ratsallagh House in W i c k l o w , showed the highflying side of politics. The visiting delegation from F r a n c e were leading businessmen, the hotel was a dream, the food was divine, and quality wine flowed freely. But there was little time to enjoy it. The M o t o r Club of Ireland was din ing in Killiney Castle , and in his brief as Sports Minister, Frank Fahey has been giving some support to the organisation. It was enjoyable, but specialist. Finally at 1.45 it was time to drive back to Galway in appalling fog with no visiblity. The driver, Kevin went at a snail's pace while the Minister slept, oblivious to conditions.

Frank Fahey was born and bred to Fianna Fail beliefs, as his father was a local councillor. He feels the party has done more for the working people than any other party. He is ever the politician and lost no opportunity to defend Fiann Fail policy while being accepting the party has an image problem. "You have to encourage people to invest, not scare them away. Socialist par ties have an unrealistic perspective on this. Frank Fahey is unable to define what motivated him to a life in politics. Part of it was his father's in fluence. Part, like all the other politicians he associates with is the thrill of making decisions, and living on a knife edge, at the discretion of the voters It is something most peo ple could never understand.

CLADDAGH
T o d a y ' s p h o t o g r a p h ever photographs taken in was taken in t h e colour in Ireland. In 1913, C l a d d a g h in May 1913. a Frenchman called albert It s h o w s t h r e e ladies Kahn commissioned two a n d t w o infants o u t s i d e photographers, Monsieur Mespoulet and M o n s . a cottage there. The women are wearing Mignon to undertake a a variety of shawls, and the seated lady is wearing a rough canvas apron, which was known as a "praiscin!' This was worn outside the skirt or dress when women were doing rough work, such as washing or carrying fish or vegetables, both of the children are wearing skirts--these were common in some areas, where there was a pisreog that the fairies might come and take young boys away, and so as protection, these small boys were made to wear skirts. This photograph was originally taken in colour--in fact it was probably among the first

COSTUMES
photographic mission in Ireland. They brought back 75 autochromes, and happily there were quite a few of Galway in the collection. They were an important record of the inhabitants and their traditional costumes as well as of the place, and were published in book form some years ago under the title "Irlande
1 9

AND CUSTOMS

' "

3

--T.K.

By Judy Murphy Photographs
MIKE SHAUGHNESSY

TOWNPARK CENTRE, TUAM ROAD, G L A AW Y Telephone (091) 55666. Fax (091) 55676

C PE S OIR

b f O t h G T TYPEWRITERS DICTATION

For the largest Selection of
Cash Registers & Weighing Scales in the West

contact

GLENC OFFICE SUPPLIES
Meetings at the Department of Education, a regular part of the job. Pictured above Minister Fahey with developers of the l National Sports Centre.
C O L L E G E RD. P h . (091) 66170 (6 lines) F a x (091) 6 8 3 8 9

BUSINESS EQUIPMENT SPECIALISTS N W ALL THE BIG N M S ABE TOGETHER! O AE