Our President, Bobby Buckley, began the presentations with two poems sharing a common theme: the cherry blossom tree. In The Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now, written in 1895, A.E. Housman reflects on the beauty of nature and the brevity of life—an early advocate of living in the moment. The Cherry Trees, a poignant four-line poem written by Edward Thomas in 1917, evokes a deep sense of loss, as the falling blossoms mirror the absence of young men who once walked that road. Bobby delivered both poems with great sensitivity, and we were all captivated by his performance.
In his May Day speech, Liam Flynn gave us a fascinating history of the Festival of Bealtaine. He described how the pagan rituals marking the beginning of summer were later superseded by Christian traditions. Ancient bonfires lit on the hills of Slane and Tara once welcomed the sun on the 1st of May. However, in 433 AD, St. Patrick lit a Paschal fire on the Hill of Slane, boldly defying the pagan King Laoire of Tara. Bealtaine has long been associated with rituals believed to promote fertility and abundance. In time, the Christian celebration of May Day became evident throughout Ireland, with colourful May altars and heartfelt renditions of Queen of the May.
At Speakeasy, members are often inspired by one another’s speeches to explore new topics. Michael Cronin credited Don McSweeney’s talk about a visit to Ardnacrusha as the inspiration behind his own research into the Shannon Scheme. Michael uncovered a darker side to the achievement of completing what was then the world’s largest hydroelectric power station in 1929. For the newly independent state, it was a massive undertaking. At a time of widespread poverty, the promise of thousands of well-paid manual jobs and accommodation was irresistible. Sadly, the reality fell short. Wages were set at the same rate as agricultural labourers, but unlike farm workers, these men had no guaranteed food or lodging. A strike for better conditions was brutally suppressed by Joseph McGrath. The work was dangerous, with no provision for sick pay, and 47 men died during construction. Michael recounted the tragic story of one of them—Jacob Kunz, a quiet and pleasant 45-year-old German engineer. Known to carry his wages and savings on his person, Kunz was attacked on December 21st, 1928, by 31-year-old Joe Cox, who stole £80 and fled. Kunz later died from a head injury. Despite pleas for clemency, Cox was hanged at Mountjoy Prison on April 25th, 1929. The title of Michael’s speech was The Price of Progress.
Adding a lighter note to the evening, Rachel Liston posed some fun and thought-provoking questions for members. James introduced us to a new word: chumocracy, and Liam shared the origin of the emergency call “Mayday, Mayday”—it comes from the French m’aidez (“help me”).
Our next meeting is on May 15th—who knows what fascinating stories we might hear?
Visitors always welcome
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| Toastmaster Marie Lynes, President Bobby Buckley and Topicsmaster Rachel Liston |
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| Toastmaster Marie Lynes, President Bobby Buckley and Topicsmaster Rachel Liston |
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