Galway Advertiser 1994/1994_03_10/GA_10031994_E1_041.pdf 

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C O M M E N T

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L E T T E R S

This Unhappy Business
he admission by Emmet Stagg that he was the unnamed politician discovered in a car with another man in the Phoenix Park's gay area has provoked a crisis which, considering he was not actually charged with anything, is more than a little surreal. Mr. Stagg was not found in the company of one of the sad "rent b o y s " who frequent that part of the Park and elsewhere. Once cautioned by the Garda who was patrolling the area and told to move off, that should have been the end of it. Apparently the incident that sparked off the original story occured, according to the Taniste, Mr. Spring, some time ago. How graphic details, including the alleg ed distressing scenes of Mr. Stagg pleading with the Garda not to pursue the matter further, were leaked is an important question that urgently requires an answer. While Mr. Pat Cox's outburst was certainly intemperate and not the sort of thing a public representative should say about the chief enforcers of the law in the state, the way in which such sensitive and, one would have hoped and expected, strictly private information was leaked deserves the severest condemnation.

" H o t P r e s s " - A Threat t o the F a m i l y ?
Dear Editor,

T

AM S F M U OT A O S F MNN SEA E IIE C P AN AT I

It has also been suggested that one of the reasons the story broke at the weekend was that a British newspaper was about to publish it, and that in the interests of a " s c o o p " , Mr. Stagg's misdemeanor was splashed across the pages of Irish newspapers. If that is the case, then it destroys whatever argument could be made that it was responsible journalism that brought a serious matter to public notice. Instead, it was simply the latest blow struck in the escalating circulation wars between Irish and British newspapers. However, Mr. Stagg's encounter in the Phoenix Park is now in the public domain, and the first thing that has to be said is that, whatever may have driven him to risk personal danger and exposure in such circumstances, it is a personal tragedy for the man himself, his family and friends. Mr. Stagg is a highly respected figure on the political scene and this week there have been many testimonies to the quality of the work he has done on behalf of the homeless in his role as Junior Minister. His colleagues in the Labour Party and Fianna Fail, as well as members of the opposition, have been virtually unanimous in lending him support and insisting that he has done nothing for which he should feel obliged to resign Yet Emily O'Reilly, writing in the Irish Press has pointed out that, recognising Mr. Stagg as " a good man, a good Minister and an Outstanding constituency worker", nevertheless he put himself in an extremely dangerous position personally and has sorely embarrassed the Government of which he is a part. This was, certainly, an incident in Mr. Stagg's private life, but it occured in a public place known to be a hang-out of male prostitutes - wretched figures open to the worst kind of exploitation. There is a case for saying he ought to resign as Minister. But there are grave dangers in all of this. If he does resign it will be primari ly because of media pressure. This story did not break because the press was outraged by the much greater scandal of "rent boys" in the Phoenix Park; it broke because it was a sensational story that looked like being covered first by the British tabloids. So let us not introduce morality into the discus sion as a primary consideration, however it may not raise serious moral issues. This entire incident also looks like signalling the end of the unspoken but more or less rigorously honoured "Gentleman's Agreement" whereby a strict separation is made between the public and private aspects of a politicians life. The total erosion of that distinction has produced the kind of trash that daily fills British tabloids; it would be tragic if this incident was to lead to that kind of journalism. Finally, many people will recall the accounts some months back of another prominent politician" who was actually video-taped entering a Dublin brothel. Why was that not pursued with the same energy as the present case? All those aspects of the case that have exercised pundits in the wake of Mr. Stagg's case - the possibility of blackmail, the personal dangers to health and safety, the exploitation of people for sexual purposes - were present here. Yet nothing further was heard of this "prominent politician", and Mr. Stagg was unceremoniously "outed". Homophobia, anyone? It is all a sad mess, and all we can hope is that sense prevails and a sense of perspective is restored in the coming weeks. Perhaps Mr. Stagg ought to resign. But the circumstances that have led us to this pass have the unplea sant smell of the witch-hunt.

"There came to me a most famous feminine sea captain called Grany Imallye and of fered her service unto me wheresoever I would com mand her with three galleys and two hundredfightingmen either in Ireland or Scotland, she brought with her her hus band for she was as well be sea as by land more than master's mate with him, he was of the nether Burkes and Dear Editor, now as I hear McWilliam I am studying for a Euter and called by nickname Richard in Iron ". He went on Diploma in Applied Aquatic ' 'This was a notorious woman Science in Galway RTC. As in all the coast of Ireland. " part of this Diploma, I am T h e a b o v e account gives carrying out a research pro some indication o f the ject on the spawning of frogs strength o f character o f the in the Galway/Clare region. redoubtable Grace O ' M a l l e y We are interested in hear or Grainne U i Mhaille. O f ing from people who have course it has led to come across ponds or pools m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g s . H e r se where frogs are spawning c o n d h u s b a n d , Richard B u r k e this year. Details of these d i d not get his n i c k n a m e b e c a u s e o f b e i n g in a coat of sites which would be of in m a i l . I n fact h e w a s the o w n e r terest to us is the location o f iron m i n e s o n t h e shores o f and size of the pool, the ap Clew Bay. proximate area covered by Nevertheless ths sentence spawn and the date which it "She brought her husband was first noticed. with her" i n d i c a t e s a n

I was disturbed to read that nothing has yet been planned to celebrate Interna tional Year of the Family. Never before has the fami ly been under such threat from so many different things - marriage breakdown and divorce, the demand of unrestricted abortion, the rising crime wave amongst younger people, the lack of respect on the part of the young for the elderly, and the terrible disrespect on the part of so many in respon sible positions today, especially the media, towards the Church. I was horrified recently when I happened to pick up a copy of a magarine my son gets regularly called "Hot Press". The filthy language used throughout was shock ing enough, but in this par ticular issue there was an in terview with a young women who described

herself as a lesbian and who kind of respect for anything went on to talk about in the if this is the kind of thing most terrible language the that is freely available to practices of these unfor them? This magazine makes tunate women. fun of everything wor But what really got me thwhile, and praises all that was an article by one of the is cheap and sensational. contributors named Eamonn The Pope has said the fami McCann in which he was ly is the basis of society. writing about the disgraceful People like this Eamonn way the newspapers went McCann are attacking the after the late Fr. Michael very heart of family when Cleary about a child he's they attack the Church, supposed to have had. Not which fights to protect it. that this writer thought there Since looking over my was anything disgraceful son's disgusting magazines about this. He not only was I have told him I don't want in favour of it, he even said to see it in our house ever the papers should have writ again. He then told me the ten about it even if they editor had recently been thought h wasn't true! given an important job by He then went on to attack Deputy Higgins! Is this the the Pope and priests and sort of person the Minister linked priestly celibacy with thinks should be holding im cases of child abuse portant jobs in the govern worldwide. I was shaking ment of this country? It's no with rage by the time I wonder this country is as bad as it is. finished reading it. How can we expect our Name and Address with young people to develop any Editor

F r o g

W a t c h
We can make available forms to anyone who would be prepared to fill them out. We would like to hear of new sites, sites which are known to have been used before, and sites which were used before but which have now disappeared or are no longer used by frogs. This information may be posted to myself at the ad dress below.

OD L GL A AW Y

authority o n h e r part that w a s out of the ordinary. S h e figured in the state p a p e r s o f t h e Elizabethan age o n a number o f occasions. Lord Justice Sir William Drury and Sir Edward Filton before w h o m e she was b r o u g h t in 1S78, described

Islander Says Unsatisfactory"
Dear Editor,

her a s "famous for her stoutness of courage and per son and for sundry exploits done by her at sea. "
D r u r y also said that she was

"a woman that hath im pudently passed the part of womanhood and been a great spoiler, and chiefcommander and director of thieves and murders."
T h i s notable lady w a s long t o b e a t h o r n i n the side o f Elizabethan officials in I r e l a n d a n d w a s i n fact t o m a k e a direct appeal in per son t o the Q u e e n . H e r visit to the r o y a l presence o f G r e e n w i c h C a s t l e , the place w h e r e Queen Elizebeth was born w a s certainly a significant oc casion. T h e sate is n o w the R o y a l N a v a l C o l l e g e . Surely t h e r e w e r e not many visitors t o a w i t h a record o f scaaaaoship t o equal that o f G r a c e OMallcy. T h o m a s P. O'Neal

I am one of many urate islanders who is absolutely fed up with being treated as a second-class citizen. Our Government-subsidised ferry service is iimhiysai, inefficient, unreliable and totally unsatisfactory to at islanders. They are making it next to iinpnasshteforus to enjoy a decent standard of living. We were promised an allweather, daily service, pro vided with Govemmesst money. We are presently receiving a two day a week service. We are totally misinformed and never know from one hour to the next when it is sailing, if at all, or where it's sailing to. We do not have a dairy postal service, and our shop is very often low on sup plies. I'm fed up and would like the Governmenttotake

Dear Editor, Just a few lines to say how much I enjoyed reading D.B.'s lovely piece about Tom Kenny. I have enjoyed reading his "Old Galway" column for many years and have kept nearly all of them, which I have carefully put Y o u r s sincerely, away in manilla folders. Mr. CotoO'Dowd Kenny has a real knack for "Frogwatch", putting the local history of do D r . D a v e M c G r a t h , Galway together. I wonder D e p t . o f L i f e Sciences, if he has ever thought of Galway R T C , bringing out a book with the best of his articles collected together? The only problem would be to decide what to leave out! Anyway, keep up the note of how its money is be good work! ing spent. Yours, Yours Barney McDonnell, Irrate Gort, lafcOirr. Co. Galway

Service

This Week.