Galway In Days Gone By

Use but don’t abuse

Prohibition in the United States has failed miserably, as every intelligent observer perceived it would fail. The law, although founded generally upon the Ten Commandments, is in reality a poor ally of religion and morality; for the person who is compelled to do what the law says is right only by the mere force and power the law has neither the seeds of religion nor morality in him.

And a great number of Americans believed as St Paul taught and took an almost impish delight in denying the right of the law to interfere in their purely personal affairs. The result was that the temperance (which is the moderate and proper use of things beneficial – things God has given us to be used, not abused – and abstinence from things hurtful) almost ceased to exist in the States, smuggling became rampant, adulterated spirits and wines the order, and lunacy and crime the outcome of the folly of reformers in a hurry.

There is a sharp lesson for some of the “reformers” in our own country in all this, some of the “Pilgrim Fathers”, whose first use of their legislative freedom has been to rob the church of its prerogative and impose by Act of Dáil Éireann moral restraint.

1951

Bishop on ‘foreign filth’

The threat which the importation of certain sections of the Sunday foreign Press constitutes to faith and morals was dealt with by His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Walsh, Archbishop of Tuam, in his Lenten Pastoral Letter, read in all churches of the Archdiocese last Sunday.

His Lordship, Most Rev, Dr. Dignam, Bishop of Clonfert, also pointed out the danger of immoral literature imported from abroad and he referred to the growth of a spirit of worldliness and the craze for amusement in his country.

The moral law in relation to industrial and labour disputes was dealt with in the Pastoral Letters of His Lordship, Most. Rev. Dr. Browne, Bishop of Galway, and His Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Fogarty, Bishop of Killaloe.

The danger of materialism was referred to in the Letters of His Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Hanly, Bishop of Elphin, and His Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Fergus, Bishop of Achonry.

His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Walsh, Archbishop of Tuam, appealed to the faithful to keep out of their homes that section of the Sunday foreign Press which specialised in parading the scandals, the filth, the irreligion of the world.

Pictured: Actor John Hurt attended the screening of the Galway Film Fleadh's closing film, Short Order, at the Town Hall Theatre in July 2005. He is pictured (right) with the film's director, Anthony Byrne.