Galway Advertiser 1994/1994_09_22/GA_22091994_E1_034.pdf 

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4 0 y e a r s of O y s t e r Fun

MY WEEK
under the control o f its bitter enemies f o r 2 0 years (1958I've a l w a y s w a n t e d to h a v e a 1978) a n d w e h a v e t o assume g o w i t h o n e o f these ' M y W e e k ' that the C o l l e g e o f Cardinals things, just to see i f I c o u l d d o and the v a r i o u s episcopates are it. I n v i r t u a l l y e v e r y n e w p a p e r infiltrated a n d infested w i t h and m a g a z i n e I pick u p these agents of Freemasonry, d a y s s o m e - w r i t e r o r actor o r because F r e e m a s o n s a l w a y s politician o r radio a n d T . V . promote f e l l o w Freemasons t o 'personality' is h a p p i l y rabbit h i g h office. A n d s o m e light ing o n about bringing L i n l e m a y n o w be t h r o w n o n the sud L u c y to the doctor a n d "what den death o f J o h n Paul I. H e d o y o u think happened w h e n I died o n l y a f e w w e e k s after got t o the s u r g e r y ? " o r 'Guess being elected. A n d an autopsy w h o I s a w h a v i n g a rather inti w a s s t e r n l y refused b y t h e mate lunch w i t h the n e w direc F r e e m a s o n s w h o , w e k n o w tor of Time a n d a n o w , w e r e i n control i n the Nightingale'?" S o , f o r lack o f V a t i c a n at t h e time o f h i s a n y t h i n g better t o d o this w e e k death.' - I've been laid u p w i t h the first 'flu o f W i n t e r the last f e w d a y s - I ' v e d e c i d e d t o let m y readers into "My W e e k ' this w e e k . O h , I can see I've already b e g u n . Just b y explaining what I'm d o i n g I've already written a paragraph. W e l l , that takes care o f M o n d a y , so o n to N o w what gets M r . B e r g i n really excited are the implica tions o f this m o m e n t o u s dis c o v e r y . F o r i f A n g e l o Roncalli w a s a F r e e m a s o n w h e n he w a s elected P o p e , then he is not and never could be a valid Pope. A n d i f he is not n o r e v e r c o u l d be a v a l i d P o p e , then he c o u l d not h a v e called a v a l i d E c u m e n i c a l C o u n c i l . A n d i f he TUESDAY c o u l d not h a v e called a v a l i d Council, then R e c e n t l y I h a v e been receiv E c u m e n i c a l ing the most curious post f r o m , e v e r y t h i n g that w a s d o n e at this o f a l l p l a c e s , F a t i m a i n i n v a l i d E c u m e n i c a l C o u n c i l is P o r t u g a l . T h i s , as m y large itself i n v a l i d . W i t h the result C a t h o l i c r e a d e r s h i p w i l l b e that Catholics c a n forget all a w a r e , is the site o f one o f the about V a t i c a n I I and g o back to m o s t f a m o u s apparitions o f O u r the w a y things w e r e before o l d L a d y . I h a v e s o far been sent A n g e l o the F r e e m a s o n p u t o n t w o l o n g letters f r o m an o r g a n the Papal tiara. isation r u n b y a n A m e r i c a n b y I a m sure that I w i l l b e receiv the n a m e o f Robert Bergin call ing m o r e startling n e w s f r o m ing itself F a t i m a International M r . B e r g i n and, as a public ser the gist o f w h i c h is the w o r l d is v i c e to m y readers, I intend to i n b i g trouble. pass it o n just as s o o n as I can. MONDAY facts a n d B i g Ian then roared out, " M y G a w d ! W h a t ' s hap p e n e d since I w a s k n o c k e d o u t ? " R o b i n s o n leaned o v e r and said, 'I've got b a d n e w s and g o o d n e w s . W h i c h d o y o u want first?" " T h e b a d n e w s first!" shouted Ian. " W e l l , A l b e r t R e y n o l d s is n o w Taoisach o f a 32-county R e p u b l i c a n d he's doing v e r y w e l l . " Slapping his great fore head, D r . Paisley m o a n e d a n d then asked f o r the g o o d n e w s . " G l a s g o w Rangers beat Celtic in their last b i g match!", said a a d d y B u r k e has a laugh as Irish s m i l i n g Peter R o b i n s o n . " O h , as G a l w a y B a y . It starts d e e p that's fantastic!", D r . Paisley d o w n and goes from there u p exclaimed. "What w a s the the scale. score?", he asked R o b i n s o n .

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W h a t is it M r . Bergin and his F a t i m a International friends are s o upset about? W h y does h e speak in terms o f 'a g r a v e situ WEDNESDAY ation' that lias d e v e l o p e d i n the Catholic C h u r c h ' ? W h a t is 'this T i m e f o r a j o k e . It s o hap sensational d e v e l o p m e n t w h i c h pened that D r . Paisley h a d a inevitably has a p r o f o u n d second meeting w i t h the i m p a c t o n t h e s a l v a t i o n o r British P r i m e Minister, J o h n d a m n a t i o n o f countless m i l M a j o r . A n d during the course l i o n s o f souls"? Prepare y o u r o f this m e e t i n g D r . P a i s l e y self, readers, as I lift the v e i l o n again insulted the P . M . t o such the greatest, most d a m n a b l e a degree that a fight began a n d conspiracy e v e r t o afflict the M a j o r punched B i g Ian i n the H o l y Catholic a n d A p o s t o l i c nose, l a y i n g h i m out flat o n the Church.... floor o f 10 D o w n i n g Street A c c o r d i n g to M r . B e r g i n a n d W h e n D r . Paisley didn/t c o m e his confreres, there is 'solid e v i r o u n d it w a s decided to put h i m d e n c e ' that j o l l y o l d J o h n into hospital f o r observation. It X X I I I . the best P o p e w e ' v e had turned o u t that M r . M a j o r ' s in m y l i f e t i m e , o r , as M r . b l o w h a d concussed the fiery B e r g i n prefers t o call h i m , leader o f the D U P and put h i m Angelo Roncalli, w a s a into a deep c o m a . F r e e m a s o n . A n d w h i l e y o u are T h e c o m a lasted f o r three digesting t i n t o n e . I m a y as long years, but finally doctor w e l l tell y o u that Sigrtor noticed h e w a s beginning t o M o o t i n i . better k n o w n t o y e a s h o w signs o f c o m i n g r o u n d . and I as Paul V I , w a s A n g e l o Peter R o b i n s o n w a s sent f o r . Roncalli's 'chief collaborator' and he was at the Doctor's b e d w h o w a s elected b y w h a t the side as he opened his e y e s . crusading M r . Bergin calls t h e " W h e r e a m I T inquired D r . Masonic w i n g ' o f the C o l l e g e Paisley. "Where's J o h n Major? of Cardinals H o w long have I been u n c o o N o w o f C O U T K this means that S C M M S ? " t h e Catholic C h u r c h has been Peter R o b i n s o n explained the

It is mixed in with a flow of Irish stories: you laugh at his laughter even if you cannot always follow his Irish brogue. THURSDAY Paddy Burke is the fifth generation I h a v e c o m e to the c o n c l u s i o n of his family to run a bar in the small village of Clarenbridge that it w o u l d be quite i m p o s s i sea-shore ble t o d o a gossip c o l u m n in an Irish mile and a bit more from G a l w a y . A t least f o r m e . First Galway. o f a l l , I don't k n o w a n y b o d y And that would be the end of the famous e n o u g h to create scan story if there were no oysters ... but dal about, a n d , s e c o n d l y , i f I there are oysters, the best ones that started telling stories about you can find anywhere - say the s o m e o f m y acquaintances they locals. Because there are oysters, the w o u l d hunt m e d o w n without grey village of Clarenbridge with its m e r c y and cut m y throat. ( T h i s main street, church and river - no is a v e r y short paragraph but different from hundreds of other y o u need something like this to Irish villages - has become a tourist balance all that business about attraction. At the centre of it all is F a t i m a and the Freemasons.) Paddy's bar and, behind the bar, the man himself. FRIDAY We heard about Paddy wherever we went in Ireland. "You must drop T h i s is m o r e difficult than it into his place" we were told. And that looks and I'm starting to r u n out M e a n w h i l e , i f s n o w time t o o f ideas. I d r o p p e d into is just what we did. Oysters have brought a measure of m o v e o n to... G a r a v a n s and asked N i c k i f h e
"6-3 to 3-1." O n to... c o u l d think o f a n y t h i n g , but h e w a s suffering the first stages o f a c o l d and c o u l d o n l y prefer m e s o m e J o h n s o n i a n a d v i c e , to the effect that n o o n e but a b l o c k head e v e r w r o t e a n y t h i n g except f o r m o n e y , w h i c h w a s not a great deal o f help. M a y b e a f e w drinks w o u l d help... SATURDAY T h e y didn't. O h w e l l , it's nearly SUNDAY N o w , y o u don't really expect m e t o carry o n into the L o r d ' s D a y , the s o l e m n d a y o f rest and recuperation, d o y o u ? Y o u d o ? W e l l , I'm s o r r y t o disappoint y o u . I a m vehemently opposed to S u n d a y trading, w h i c h is just the first step o n the slippery slope t o F r e e m a s o n r y a n d another E c u m e n i c a l c o u n c i l . Hail a n d farewell, readers, a n d m a y flight's o f A n g e l o ' s sing thee t o t h y apron. N a n nobis. Domine. A m e n . Morgan O'Doherty

both fortune and fame to 42 year old Paddy Burke. They have brought the well-known into the small village. The locals drinking pints of stout in Paddy's are used to elbowing film producters, lords, actors and film stars out of the way. The local farmers and Paddy Bourke are used to chatting to the famous. But they remain unim pressed. The people of Clarenbridge have mixed feelings about oysters, dear as they are, and it is mainly the visitors who swallow them down at 8s. 6 d. a dozen. The above extract was written by Judy Ward for the Daily E x p r e s s in 1961, after the Galway Oyster Festival. It illustrates just how valu able the Festival has been to Galway from a public relations and publicity point of view. The Galway Oyster is a unique product, and so we should thank the men of vision who thought of marketing it properly - Brian Collins, Paddy Burke and Brendan Allen. The Oyster Festival began in a small way but rapidly became a spec tacular success, and an extremely effective way of promoting the

Galway Oyster, and the Galway area as a gourmet and tourism destination. It is hard to believe it is forty years ago since it all began. The Festival Committee have decided t o bring out a book entitled "Thanks for the mem ories" to commemorate this anniver sary. The book is profusely illustrat ed, and includes some very fine colour photographs of early festivals. There are some contributions from various guests of honour. The book is not a history, but rather a taste of, or a flavour of (if you will pardon the pun) the Galway Oyster Festival. It is really a celebration and captures a special part of our social history over the past forty years. Todays photograph is taken from the book and shows a group taken at Tarea Pier at one of the earliest festi vals. Included are Tod Andrews, Peter Greene, Mayor of Galway, Oilver J. Flanagan, Lord and Lady Killanin, Freda and Gerry O'Gorman, Sean McLaverty, Jack and May Brennan, Jack Keogh, Jack and Ethel Cheevers, Tom Coogan, Brian and Honor Collins, Donny Coyle and Kieran Moylan from Kinvara. T.K.

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