Galway Advertiser 1974/1974_02_21/GA_21021974_E1_001.pdf 

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T Ih u r s d a .y. F eUb r u a r y 21st 1974 X J . C

CALVARY HOSPITAL MATERNITY WILL CLOSE
D E S P I T E nearly sixteen months of strong campaigning t o maintain the Maternity U n i t at Calvary Hospital, t h e owners h a v e finally decided t o close the unit on June 30th. I t seems that this time the decision is irrevoc able. M e m b e r s of t h e c a m p a i g n for Calvary Committee a d m i t t e d they were shocked and very disappointed w h e n they heard the news. Mrs. B e t t y O ' D o n o g h u e said on T u e s d a y , that because of the enormous and genuine 'interest shown b y G a l w a y mothers t o keep the U n i t open, there should have been more information available t o t h e public leading up to t h e decision t o close. "This w a s not a private m a t t e r , " she said, "but something that concerned t h e w h o l e town."

out ydiplomatically b t doctors and one official of to be k o n Ad finally caused me td be told that u it firml shouldthe Depart the Wsen Hat B adlast T nd y. the Sisters it has finally been decided to that reconsider ee e ew n has mn conditions u dr in mdDcmerh o r issuedus a lowing state close the maternity wing of et intr e b l 1972. - electric atmos the fol theih consultants we I a nee n ment: w cl y . h rt h Calvary Hospital. I my. 1

valuable

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heart-break

return

to Calvary

to be looked

after by the best in the country. Dr. McLaverty, you will surely be missed by so many hundreds for your bedside manner, beautiful smile at all times and most important your blessed and capable hands. Words aren't yet invented to express my sincere gratitude. But each and every day as I look at my lovely healthy children I can promise you one thing: my prayers will be with you and your lovely family. Please do not go too far away as I may need you again, and you and you alone are the only gynaecologist for me. Yours, "A heart-broken patient" ( N a m e a n d address requested n o t for p u b l i c a t i o n )

r d eob 1972 It wassag e that the n uh t It wr ,LittleSisterspwy ernityeUnit was not ma hMa in N vm eah real r ao wy the M t a they the oCmrno t as a k of C l ay Hospital, an ing mny w s because e a run nev r the mater leadingocity obstetricians a that nty cdt was closing be could not attend patients o u niueunifailed as a finanat C l ay b c ue of the a of e s calsproposition for the termsv r theiracontracts a it ci tal. This nwp pr with the Wsen Health Q u i t e s u d d e n l y G a l w a y is. etr hospi ately bge s a e B a d The Hat B a d r e g a i n i n g i t s f o r m a l l y h e l d immedi kee a a unit however, wr e lpe aer , p o s i t i o n a s a c i t y w i t h l i t n cam o r . ee h pod r r p e . A ce ag f .CilnrtoCappthe wr to l o sed athe matter a dreagriyn ntirnagd i oifo nt hs .i s Uwpe et ko tt h ee oagay om iie os authori into report o n eb pv n n a ok aup w o m t e in w oe position of C ,nrthel o c a l l i t e r atr y field w a s h mt hl a ae set s a e ofcollected,days, Hospital. Surprisingly, vny m l y i n t h e h a n d s of t hfir h twelve thee p c signatures pro obstetrician, e po e oby l e g a l p r o f e s s i o n . T w o s o l ie m l dk o r 6,000 v the Health Board,ys o e c i t o r s , M a u r i c e S e m p l e p testing at its closure

Huge Success for Galway Writer
Geraldine Plunkett. Thom as Dillon was t h e colourful a n d p o p u l a r p r o f e s s o r of C h e m i s t r y a t U.C.G., a n appointment h e received while in prison in England. Both p a r e n t s were concer n e d i n t h e 1916 R i s i n g a n d h e r mother's eldest broth er, Joseph Plunkett, w a s o n e of t h e s i g n a t o r i e s of t h e p r o c l a m a t i o n of t h e Republic, fought in t h e P o s t Office a n d w a s l a t e r executed. "My earliest memory" says Miss Dillon, " i s t h e d a y of m y m o t h e r ' s a r r e s t . I r e m e m b e r a carpetless r o o m w h e r e t w o m e n in military uniform, puttees, k h a k i a n d those wide-top p e d c a p s of t h e t i m e , l i f t i n g the floor-boards with bay onets attached to their rifles." I n t h e n e x t y e a r o r so U i e f a m i l y m o v e d m a n y times to escape these raids. T h e c h o i c e of h o u s e a l w a y s included t h e proviso that 'it m u s t n o t b e easily sur rounded.' Until she was t w e l v e y e a r s old, E i l i s Dil lon moved with h e r family to Barna, Newcastle a n d then to Lenaboy Park. Finally she was sent to live w i t h h e r g r a n d p a r e n t s , Count and Countess Plun k e t t in Dublin. T h e Count, who was t h e only survivor of a f a m i l y of s i x -- t h e r e s t d i e d of f a m i n e -- f e v e r , w a s a k e e n s t u d e n t of I t a l y . I n 1918 h e w a s e l e c t e d t o t h e first D a i l w h i c h h e opened in F r e n c h , as h e knew no Irish. Accordingly he was made Minister for Fine Arts. " W e were n o t rich, and being a convinced socialist my m o t h e r t o o k p a i n s t o i m p r e s s on u s t h a t o u r ac tions were more important than origins. S h e a n d m y father a r g u e d politics in cessantly, since h e h a d b e e n i n f a v o u r of a c c e p t i n g t h e T r e a t y i n 1922 a n d s h e felt that it would have been b e t t e r t o stick o u t for a Republic." I n 1940 E i l i s D i l l o n m a r ried t h e late Cormac O'Cui l l e a n a i n . P r o f e s s o r of I r i s h literature a t Cork Univer sity a n d h a s t h r e e c h i l d r e n all successful in t h e i r indi vidual pursuits. S h e has b e e n writing from " a s soon as I could write-" a n d h a s Eilis Dillon autographing c o p i e s of h e r b e s t s e l l i n g novel 'Across t h e Bitter S e a ' in O'Gorman's Book shop last W e d n e s d a y . Also in t h e p i c t u r e (from l e f t ) : Miss Julia Fahy, Dennis Latimer, publisher repres entative, Miss Marion Bur k e a n d Mr. Philip McDermott, Irish publisher's agent.

"Some Galway Memories," and Henry Comerford's play " O n e is O n e a n d AH Alone," currently playing at t h e Peacock, Dublin, were the s u m and excellent t o t a l of o u r c u r r e n t c i t y scribal figures. T h e n last Monday a new novel, "Across the Bitter Sea" a p p e a r e d on t h e scene; a n d by Tuesday afternoon t h e publishers were requesting booksellers to reorder for t h e second edition. Possib ly n e v e r b e f o r e h a s a n Irish Novel h a d such an immediate impact on the public--and it's all t h e more pleasing when t h e m a j o r p o r t i o n of t h e b o o k is b a s e d i n G a l w a y a n d the Authoress herself was b o r n h e r e i n 1920. Eilis Dillon is in fact already firmly established as a n a u t h o r , poet, play w r i g h t a n d classical schol ar. "Across t h e Bitter S e a " is h e r thirty-sixth novel; s h e is a t p r e s e n t e n t r e n c h ed in h e r thirty-seventh. Miss Dillon w a s t h e t h i r d c h i l d of T h o m a s D i l l o n a n d

been a successful profess ional writer for almost twenty years. "Across the Bitter Sea" has received exceptionally good reviews from both Irish a n d British critics. T h e novel is s e t during t h e seventy y e a r s from the Famine to the Easter R i s i n g 1916 a n d t e l l s t h e s t o r y of a C o u n t y G a l w a y girl loved by t w o m e n ; o n e a landlord w h o pities t h e poverty-stricken people and t h e other a c o m m i t t e d nat i o n a l i s t of h u m b l e b i r t h . T h e love story w e a v e s in a n d o u t of t h i s t u r b u l e n t

a n d exciting p e r i o d in Irish h i s t o r y c h a r g e d w i t h acc u r a t e a n d vivid detail. T h e Sunday T i m e s critic wrote: " h e r e i s a n o v e l of w h i c h Zola m i g h t h a v e b e e n pro u d . I t s e r v e s t h e c a u s e of understanding, t h e onlyc a u s e p e r h a p s , w o r t h fight ing for." On Tuesday evening a p a r t y w a s g i v e n f o r Miss Dillon a t Sweeney's Hotel, O u g h t e r a r d , a n d a nice t o u c h w a s a l a r g e Gat eaux with 'Success for A c r o s s t h e B i t t e r S e a ' writ ten in icing. T h e cake was entirely demolished.

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Pretty pelmets, chic curtains, c h a r m i n g chair c o v e r i n g s y o u ' l l find t h e m a l l i n o u r v e r y l a t e s t r a n g e of l o v e l y c o l o u r s a n d d e s i g n s . B e d s p r e a d s too in Brocades, Cretonnes a n d Velours. A n d y o u r r e q u i r e m e n t s will r e c e i v e e x p e r t a t t e n t i o n in o u r o w n m a k e - u p d e p a r t m e n t . Hotel Contracts: Enquiries are welcome--just ask for our representative to call!

Thomas O'Flaherty
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