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February, 2020
THE CANADA TIMES
Celebrating little known or forgotten stories of our histor y
Newsletter from The Jeanie Johnston Educational Foundation
-Saint Valentine, the patron saint of love
-Things that Irishwomen could not do in 1970
-How the Irish were woken every morning before alarm clocks
-How Guinness saved Ireland during the War II
-St. Bridgid
-Eight Hundred Years of Scots and Irish in Vienna
155, du Buisson, Pierrefonds, P.Q. H8Y 2Z5
Tel.: 514-341-7777
Email: jeaniejohnstonfdn@videotron.ca
Website: jeaniejohnstonfoundation.com
Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem
Website: hospitaller.ca
Chairmans Remarks
The Black & Tans Farce may show government officials are not serious about United Ireland “ Says Cahair
O’Doherty”
Fine Gael appears to be decoupled from their nation and their history.
Long considered agents of English Imperialism the RIC which eventually contained the hated Black and
Tans , a force recruited in the most part from the scrapings of the goals of England, who brutalized and
raped and murdered Irish citizens with impunity.
To propose a commemoration ceremony of this force with the Dublin Metropolitan Police in a state ceremony
was to promote a furious response, and so it proved.
Leo Varadkar” found it disappointing that the event was “deferred” due to public and political disgust with
the concept, I am sure the victims who suffered at the hands of the brutal and murderous gaolbirds dressed
up in British uniforms” would also have expressed their disgust.
The government “deferred” the commemoration ceremony (English=Abandoned)
As mentioned –Our past was not some squalid row that we should try to live down via some Public Relation
gimmicks, Our people fought and died under these brutal forces and we should in no way belittle that
history. Is this the mindset of the government? One wonders –Was it worth it?- the answer lies in the souls
of those who have gone before ,Parnell Pádraig Pearse, Connolly, Sean MacDiarmid and all the others who
have gone before.
The “Deferral” as it is referred to was ill-conceived, small minded thinking denounced by politicians across
the country . Co. Cork Mayor Cathal Crowe said that that the event was “historical revisionism gone too far”
As Niall O’Dowd remarks” the major parties in Ireland Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have mounted their high
horse on the issue of going into Government with Sinn Fein. “They are unclean”
Fianna Fail who brought the country to the verge of bankruptcy with the death of the Celtic Tiger, allowing
crooked banks and developers to drive the country into unimaginable debt. Bertie Ahern, former Irish
Taoiseach ( Prime Minister) in explaining undocumented quantity of cash in his bank account, claimed to
have won vast sums on the horses, which was rather comical.. Michael Martin was the senior figure with
Fianna Fail the worst Irish Government in history yet he is now proclaiming he cannot be seen to govern
with the “unclean Sinn Fein?
Latest News has shown Sinn Fein's dramatic win of the overall popular vote. A huge shift in Irish Politics. As
it stands SinnFein and Fianna Fail do not have enough seats between then to form a majority.
A daughter is a daughter for all of your life-a son is a son until he takes a wife.
2
St.Valentine’s Church, White Friers Church Dublin, Ireland
Saint Valentine—the Patron Saint of Love
In 1835 Fr. John Spratt using his Irish charm convinced Pope Gregory XVI to dig up the remains and take
them to Ireland as a gift to his fellow Irishmen and women.
Valentine, who was executed in the 3rd century for performing Christian marriages, has prompted the
priests of the church where he is buried to celebrate the feast of love and happiness.
"So Valentine is with us and we're very happy to have him," Crowley told AFP.
In 1950 a statue and shrine were built to honor St. Valentine and placed in the church. As soon as people
in Ireland realized that the saint of lovers was buried right under their noses they came flocking to the
church to give up their amorous prayers to the saint.
He is known as the patron saint of BeeKepers ,Fainting, Engaged Couples .
“When love awakens in your life, in the night of your heart, it is like the dawn breaking within you. Where
before there was anonymity, now there is intimacy; where before there was fear, now there is courage;
where before in your life there was awkwardness, now there is a rhythm of grace and gracefulness; where
before you used to be jagged, now you are elegant and in rhythm with your self. When love awakens in your
life, it is like a rebirth, a new beginning.”
— John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
How can a women be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she was a normal
human being —Oscar Wilde
3
Things that Irish women could not do in 1970s
by Jane Walsh @IrishCentral
To examine how things have changed for women in 6. Women were unable to get a restraining order
Ireland, Fintan O’Toole, journalist, and commentator, against a violent partner
compiled 10 things that women could not do in 1970,
for the Irish Times. Here’s a brief synopsis. 7. Before 1976 they were unable to own their home
outright
Women in Ireland could not … According to Irish Law, women had no right to share the
family home and her husband could sell their property
1. Keep their jobs in the public service or in a bank without her consent.
once they married
Any Irish citizen who sat on a jury had to be property 8. Women could not refuse to have sex with their
owners according to the 1927 Juries Act, thus excluding husband
the majority of women. A husband had the right to have sex with his wife and
consent was not an issue in the eyes of the law.
3. Buy contraceptives
According to the 1935 Criminal Law Amendment Act, 9. Choose her official place of residence
the import, sale, and distribution of contraceptives Once married, a woman was deemed to have the same
were illegal. As a result, the majority of women had "domicile" as her husband.
no access to contraceptives, apart from the Pill which
was sometimes prescribed as a "cycle regulator." 10. Women could not get the same pay for jobs as
men
4. Drink in a pub In March 1970, the average hourly pay for women was five
During the 1970s, most bars refused to allow women shillings, while that for men was over nine. The majority
to enter a pub. Those who allowed women to enter of women were paid less than male counterparts.
generally did not serve females pints of beer.
Source: https://www.irishcentral.com/news/how-things-have-changed-ten-things-
that-irish-women-could-not-do-in-1970s-183526621-237593131
5. Collect their Children’s Allowance
In 1944, the legislation that introduced the payment
of child benefits to parents specified they could only
be paid to the father.
4
How the Irish were woken every morning before alarm clocks
by Irish Central Staff (https://twitter.com/IrishCentral)
In the larger industrial cities, such as London and
Manchester, there were large numbers of people
employed to carry out this role. Generally, the job
was carried out by older men and women but it as
sometimes police constables would supplement their
pay by multi-tasking during their morning patrols.
Alternatively larger factories and mills would employ
their own knocker-up to ensure employees made it to
work on time.
Did you ever wonder who the hard-working folks
of Ireland managed to get up on time before the
invention of the alarm clock? The solution was
ingenious... if a little odd.
It wasn't until the beginning of the 1920s that alarm
clocks became readily available, in any kind of reliable
form, so how was it that the hard-working people of
Ireland and Britain managed to get up in time for work
every morning? The answer, the knocker-upper.
Did you find it difficult to wake up this morning? Alram
not working as it should? Then you needs yourself a
Knocker-Upper.
Here's a photo of Mary
Smith who earned six The knocker-up used a truncheon or short, heavy
pence a week shooting stick to knock on the clients' doors or" "a long and
dried peas at sleeping light stick, often made of ba mboo, to reach windows
workers windows. on higher floors. Some of them used pea-shooters.
A “knocker-up” waking up clients, circa late 1800’s.
A knocker-up, also referred to as a knoker-upper, was a
profession in Britain and Ireland. This profession lasted
well into the Industrial Revolution, when alarm clocks
A Knocker-up (sometimes known as a knocker-upper) Were neither cheap nor reliable, and to as late as the
was a profession in England and "Ireland that started beginning of the 1920s. A knocker-up’s job was to rouse
during and lasted well into the Industrial Revolution sleeping people so they could get to work on time.
and at least as late as the 1920s, before alarm clocks
were affordable or reliable." Although the clock was certainly the main replacement
from the 1920s the BBC reports that until the 1950s and
The knocker-up went door to door, literally using a even '70s the knocker-upper's work continued in part
baton or short, heavy stick to knock on their client's of Britain.
doors or using a long stick, often made of bamboo,
would tap on the higher windows of the houses. At Next time your alarm clock goes off spare a thought for
least one, see above, a woman called Mary Smith, used the knocker-uppers and think of how far technology
a pea-shooter. The knocker-up would not leave the has come!
house until their client was roused. Source: https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/irish-woken-before-alarm-clocks
5
How Guinness saved Ireland during the War II
by Bryce Evans @Irish Central
healthy export figures were thanks to the thirst for
Guinness from the rapidly expanding number of men
enlisted in the British military and wartime industries.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill knew it was
integral to the preservation of morale on the UK home
front. By the end of 1941, however, wheat was becoming
seriously scarce in Ireland.
Winston Churchill's resentment
In fact, on all fronts, it looked as if Éire could not survive
the war for much longer as a neutral country. This was
As Ireland struggled to survive World War II in because Churchill resented Irish neutrality. With one
its neutral position and their supply situation eye trained on control of the Irish ports and the other
became dangerous it was the troop's love of on the British-shipped supplies that neutral Ireland
Guinness that saved the day. was eating up, he wrought revenge by subjecting the
Irish people to an agonizing and unrelenting supply
At nearly one billion liters of Guinness sold per year, it squeeze.
has become one of the world’s most recognizable Irish
brands. And though it is brewed in over 60 countries In an attempt to coerce Ireland onto the Allied side,
and available in more than 120, there is only one which Churchill oversaw the throttling of the Irish economy
owes its very survival as a sovereign state to the Black throughout 1941. Éamon de Valera’s Ireland, still
Stuff. without its own merchant navy and perilously reliant
on British supplies, was now subjected to the full force
It's February 1944 and it is at last clear that the Allies of British economic warfare.
are going to win the Second World War (1939-45).
In Eastern Europe, the Red Army’s march west is
gathering pace. In Italy, the Allied offensive at Monte
Cassino is underway. And in Northern Ireland, in
anticipation of D-Day, the number of British and
American servicemen has swelled to 120,000.
With this teeming garrison of Allied troops now
making up one-tenth of the entire population of the
six counties, some fear a cross-border invasion. But for
policymakers in Dublin, the build-up of troops north
of the border is the surest sign yet that Éire will emerge
from the war with her neutrality and independence
intact.
Ireland's WWII perilous cutbacks
The reason for this rather contented attitude south of Attempting to deliver a death blow to the Irish
the border lay in the title of a play that Irish author agricultural economy, the British cut the vital annual
Flann O’Brien was writing at the time: "Thirst." supply of agricultural fertilizers to Ireland from
100,000 tons to zero. Likewise, the British supply of
Back in 1938 and 1939, with European conflict on the feeding stuffs was slashed from six million tons to
horizon, Ireland was exporting around 800,000 barrels zero. Petrol, too, was cut. At Christmas 1940, pumps
of beer annually. By 1940 and 1941, with war underway, across the state suddenly ran dry. Trains soon stopped
this figure leaped closer to the million mark. These running as the supply of British coal stalled.
6
With bellies rumbling and the centenary of Ireland’s devil-may-care, shifted dramatically. After the British
Great Hunger approaching, there were reports of the army complained to Whitehall of unrest caused by a
Phoenix Park deer and even Dublin zoo animals going sudden and “acute” beer shortage in Belfast, a hasty
missing. Dublin prostitutes asked for payment not in agreement was drawn up between senior British and
cash but in sought-after commodities like soap or tea. Irish civil servants. Britain would exchange badly
needed stocks of wheat in exchange for Guinness.
As wheat production waned and the state desperately
introduced the 100 percent black loaf, which used A short time later, though, Guinness complained that
ground bone or lime powder to supplement the flour, they did not have sufficient coal to produce enough
and in turn inhibited calcium absorption, leading to a beer for both the home and export markets. The Irish
massive increase in childhood rickets. It was claimed government promptly re-imposed the export ban. This
in the Dáil that “the poor are like hunted rats looking time, in a further attempt to slake the thirst of Allied
for bread.” troops north of the border, British officials agreed to
release more coal to Ireland.
To top it all, German bombs rained down, Dublin
Castle was ravaged by fire and, most ominously, Ireland Slowly but surely, this pattern of barter repeated itself.
suffered a serious Hoof and Mouth outbreak causing Faced with a ballooning and dry-tongued garrison of
thousands of animals to have to be slaughtered. The American and British troops in Northern Ireland in
year 1941 truly was Ireland’s wartime "annus horribilis". the long run-up to D-Day in June 1944, the British
periodically agreed to release stocks of wheat, coal,
Fear of famine fertilizers and agricultural machinery in exchange for
With the Irish economic situation aggravated by a Guinness. These supplies were to keep neutral Ireland
booming black market and the belated introduction afloat during the Second World War and enable the
of full rationing, the situation darkened. Famine soon continuance of Irish neutrality.
became a realistic fear. Twenty million people died of
starvation globally during the Second World War. It So, with Guinness consumption today heavily
was the increased incidence of hunger and mention associated with Saint Patrick’s Day, perhaps it’s time to
of the dreaded ‘F-word’ which prompted the Irish pause and reflect that even in wartime (in the words of
government to take decisive action to preserve its very Flann O’Brien):
existence.
"When things go wrong and will not come right,
But how could tiny Éire – possessing scant natural
resources, rapidly regressing to a medieval horse- Though you do the best you can,
and-cart economy, and described by another titan of
Irish literature, George Bernard Shaw, as “a powerless When life looks black as the hour of night,
little cabbage garden” – hope to sustain itself against
Churchillian pressure? A pint of plain is your only man."
For the love of the "Black Stuff"
A clue lay in the communiqués back to London from
the Dublin-based British press attaché and future
British poet laureate John Betjeman. In these letters,
Betjeman regularly spelled out the Irish supply
situation. A typical report ran “No coal. No petrol. No
gas. No electric. No paraffin” but conceded “Guinness
good.” Guinness, therefore, was the one economic
weapon which the Irish possessed.
In March 1942, in an effort to preserve wheat supplies Source: https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/how-guinness-saved-
for bread for the poor, the Irish government-imposed ireland-in-world-war-ii
restrictions on the malting of barley and banned the
export of beer altogether. The British attitude, hitherto
7
St. Brigid - a True Strong Irish Woman
by Leo Delany
founded a school of Art and a Monastery at Cill Dara
(meaning 'the Church of the Oak'), about which the
modern town of Kildare now stands. It is thought that
this was the exact same site that a shrine to a Celtic
Pagan Goddess named Brigid also stood. During this
time the Abbess of Kildare was regarded as superior
general of the monasteries in Ireland, an incredible
position for any woman to occupy.
Brigid died in the year 525 with the date of her death
becoming that of her feast-day, February 1st. It is on
this day that she has since been celebrated, her memory
marked with the traditional creation of the Saint Brigid
Cross, made from reeds. She is buried next to Saint Patrick
Legends of her holiness abound. One such tale recalls in Downpatrick.
how the baby Brigid would vomit when a Druid tried
to feed her, such was the impurity of the Pagan Druid. Such was her popularity among he Irish that her name
When older she was constantly giving away her food and its many variants became incredibly popular over the
and clothing to the poor, on one occasion performing following centuries. Such was the extent to which every
the miracle of having the food-stocks she had taken Irish family had a child bearing the name, that when they
from the kitchen replenished. ventured abroad to England or America that the name
Brigid assumed the meaning of 'Irish woman'.
As a child the young Brigid enjoyed a certain position
of some comfort and privilege, the family being in Saint Brigid is celebrated on February 1st each year, the day
receipt of financial support because of their position and month of her death. It is this day that also happens
of authority. Upon reaching adulthood however, she to be the date of an annual Gaelic Pagan festival called
assumed a role of servitude and was charged with 'Imbolc', marking the beginning of Spring!
caring for her father and family.
She never forgot her mother however and, despite being
forbidden to do so she left the family home, located
her mother, negotiated her release from slavery and
returned home to her father's house. To her dismay, her
father had arranged her marriage to a poet, he being
among the most prestigious men of the time. Brigid
had already vowed to remain celibate and to do God's
work so once more, she left her home, this time forever.
Together with seven other dedicated women she
formed the first ever female Monastic community in
Ireland in the year 468. They helped the poor of the
time and were attributed with many miracles.
Despite having limited resources they never seemed to
be without food or supplies for their good works. She
Source: http://www.ireland-information.com/articles/saintbrigid.htm
8Eight Hundred Years of Scots and Irish in Vienna
By Sam Allison & Jon Bradley
Henry II, Duke of Austria, (1112-1177) impressed with time and meeting emerging community needs, Scottish
the religious views, simplicity of lifestyle, and strict missionaries evolved from just administering to the
moral rules in a time of upheaval, gave land to the pilgrims and expanded into ministering to the citizens
Hiberno-Scottish monks of St. Jacob from Regensburg of their locality. As such, the monks became central
(located in southern Germany on the Danube River) societal elements throughout the history of the regions.
to set up a religious community in Vienna. The Duke
wished to establish Vienna as a spiritual and religious The initial church in Vienna was dedicated “to the
center as well as political/administrative seat for the glory of God”, the “honour of Our Lady Mary” and to
then Duchy of Austria. It is now forgotten that monks “Gregory the Great” with a triple apse (semi-circular
and missionaries from Ireland and Scotland (Hiberno- recess covered with a semi-dome or hemispherical
Scottish and Iro-Schotten) were forceful legionnaires vault) design. This first church was destroyed by “the
for Christianity during the Middle Ages. great fire of 1276” which devastated large sections of
Vienna. Destruction by fire was a very common feature
Monasteries, hospices and churches were being of Medieval life as open flames (candles, fire pits, ovens,
established throughout Christian lands. In fact, until stoves, etc.) were all sustained by combustible materials
1663, the patron saint of Austria was the martyred Irish such as coal, wood, and various oils. Unfortunately, the
monk Koloman, killed in 1012 while on a pilgrimage, rebuilt church was destroyed in 1443 by an earthquake
thus demonstrating the reverence occupied in Austrian and in 1643 the roof collapsed on the supposedly
history and culture by both Irish and Scottish pious renovated structure.
figures.
Folk-lore has it that Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor,
In order to facilitate religious pilgrimages during the 11th witnessed the actual collapse and was not impressed
and 12th centuries, Scottish monasteries were established that such an event should occur in his presence! Finally,
along the long route to the Holy Land. Originally in 1638 with a lightening strike to the bell tower, the
designed to be way-stops/safe respites for monks and reasonable decision was made to completely rebuild
other royalty on their perilous journeys, the facilities the church in the Baroque style. Over the 1640s, the
slowly changed over time to not only accepting other reconstruction took place, enlarging some physical
pilgrims but established more permanent supporting features, with the somewhat unusual decision to place
services such as hospitals, schools, and residences. Over the tower slightly beside rather than directly attached to
9the church. The church was remodelled staring in 1643. It High Alter offering a wide/high inviting area, the two
was consecrated on May 31, 1648 by Prince-Bishop Philip transepts are highly decorated, while the large chancel
Count of Breuer and is the church that still stands today is open on three sides showcasing the High Alter, six
on the original land granted many years previously. separate specifically dedicated side alters honour past
luminaries, a couple of side “hide-a-ways” provide
As the oldest monastery in Vienna and the oldest church solace when needed, brightly painted ceiling panels
still residing on its original land grant, the Schottenkirche look down upon the congregation, along with two (2)
occupies a unique position within Vienna as well as impressive organs (one located in the choir loft), the
larger Austria. church deservedly merits the title of “Basilica Minor”.
A church steeped in history that has survived, albeit
Over the years the Church became a major centre rebuilt several times, the ravages of man and nature.
of Austrian life and the massive interior became This religious enclave represents the faith and will of
magnificent. those original Scottish monks who built the first church
and overcame initial difficulties.
Somewhat akin to the mythological Phoenix, the
Schottenkirche continually rose from the ashes, more
splendid than before, and today stands as a testament
to both a colourful past and an intriguing future
The monks became more and more involved in research
and teaching at the University of Vienna (established
in 1635). The library within the monastery grew with
the addition of many tomes gathered from all areas of
Europe and the nearby school attracted eager students.
The church and its attendant structures were damaged
again during the Second Siege of Vienna/Battle of
Vienna in 1683.
An attempt by Ottoman forces to take the city failed.
Interestingly, many historians mark this Battle/Siege
as an important watershed in that Ottoman influence
in Europe waned and Hapsburg power grew from this
juncture on. Once again, the church was repaired.
The main features of the exterior of the church have
been altered over time due to numerous rebuilds and
renovations; likewise, the interior structures have seen
their share of alterations, upgrades and adornments.
Suffice to say that the large open nave stretches from the
main entrance to the strikingly ornate and impressive
10Honorary Patrons
His Excellency Jim Kelly
Irish Ambassador to Canada
The Jeanie Johnston Educational Foundation
Hon. Jean Charest
Former Premier of Quebec
Hon. Pierre Marc Johnson
Former Premier of Quebec
Ireland to Plant 440 Million Trees to Battle
Richard Pound, CC, OQ, QC, LLD Climate Change
Chancellor Emeritus
McGill University
Mohawk Council, Kahnawake
The Department of Communications Climate Action and
Christine Zachary-Deom Environment announced that “The climate action plan commits
Peter Trent CD to delivering an expansion of forestry planting to ensure that
Former Mayor Westmount carbon abatement from land use is delivered over the period
Dr. Muiris O’Ceidigh, 2021 to 2030 and in the years beyond.
LLB. MBA, MSc Economics
The target for the new forestation is approximately 22 Million
Directors trees per year amounting to 440 Million over the next 20 years.
Chairman
They will also retrofit 400,000 heat pumps in homes and
Leo Delaney KH businesses replacing existing carbon-intensive heating systems.
V. Chairman
Noel Burke, M.Ed.
Ron Canuel B.Ed
Former CEO. Canadian Education Assoc.
Edcan Network.
Glen P. Carlin. Eng. F CAE., F.EIC,
Tino Bordonaro, M.A.
English Montreal School Board
Patrick Buckland Ph.D
Eileen Marcil Ph.D
Chris Culpin M.A . Oxon,
British & Irish Education Ministry
Brian Young, Emeritus History,
McGill University
Ben Walsh, B.A.
British Educational Technology
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