January 08, 2004
Barbarians at the Gate
Just like the hapless motorists of Galway, the debate about the naming of the roundabouts goes round and round. The Galway Advertiser carries even more irate correspondence this week. Padraic MacFhionnghaile is steaming.
The so-called Tribes of Galway were a privileged ascendancy class of primarily self-serving opportunistic merchants who dispossessed native Irish clans like the O'Flahertys and O'Hallorans to control vast estates which included large tracts of County Galway....A sign on he west bridge implored "from the ferocious O'Flaherty's, may the Lord deliver us".
The poor old O'Flahertys, eh? Apart from owning a large chunk of Galway and Mayo west of the city, there was a good reason for the sign on the bridge. The O'Flahertys had a habit of liberating anything that wasn't nailed down (and a habit of nailing up anyone who tried to stop them). Grace O'Malley was married into the family during the 16th century, and earned her title "The Pirate Queen" the hard way. The correspondence also highlights the fact that the Irish were very capable of shafting each other without any help from the English (though, to give them their due, the English excelled at it too).
Another correspondent is even less happy. Adrian Martyn ( a descendent of the Martin tribe) gets his retaliation in early, beginning his letter with
As Ben Franklin once wrote on ignorance, it is better to keep silent than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
Ouch. Indignantly, he points out that his ancestors never evicted a single tenant during the Famine (which reminds me, why didn't any Irish people apologize for the Famine - maybe I'll write in and start another scrap) and finishes his letter with
There is of course a more old-fashioned way to settle most disputes though, knowing how lethal generations of my family have been in such matters, I hesitate to offer it to him as his refusal might be taken as a slur on his manhood. Nevertheless, I am a believerin handing down tradition from one generation to the next. So, pistols or swords ?
Now, this I want to see.
Posted by Monasette at January 8, 2004 10:37 PM
Hello there!
Delighted to find that my riposte to Mr. Healy is spreading far and wide over the internet! Shame he has'nt replied, but then honour is a thing you cannot fight for if you've never had it in the first place!
Seriously though, the only reason I wrote in the first place was because all of the writers (apart from Alf McLoughlin) have displaed utter ignorance on the subject they hold forth on. I really think there are much more serious matters that should fill the letters page of our esteemed paper (for examples, just look at letters sent in over the past number of weeks).
Then again, ignorance is another serious subject, so I guess I'll have to hold off melting the lead and try to reasonably educate those amadans. That's why I wrote my book on the tribes in the first place; pity they did'nt bother reading it.
Is mise,
Adrian Martyn
Dun Gallime
Eire
Thanks for dropping by. I'm still waiting for that duel.
What is the title of your book - is it available in Kenny's ?
/John
Posted by: John at January 26, 2004 08:01 PMHi John,
Could you tell me who you are and what this site is about?
Anyway, my booklet, "The Tribes of Galway", is available in Kenny's and all Galway bookstores. I wrote and published it myself back in 2001, and am going to publish a much more extensive version as soon as the first edition sells out.
No sign of a duel on my end, either! The guy can talk the talk, but not walk the walk! Cheers,
Adrian
Posted by: Adrian Martyn at February 6, 2004 01:44 PM