Stamullen

SPARE A THOUGHT

This time last year and indeed, back in 2018 as well, the people of this particular north-east district were anxiously awaiting the coming of the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann to Drogheda, attracting the best in Irish music, culture and dance. B&B`s, guest-houses and hotels were already booked out for this huge event which attracted over half-a-million visitors to this area over the 8-day extravaganza.

Many people rented out rooms, beds and even their back gardens to accommodate those arriving from around Ireland and the world. The good weather prevailed from around this time, early May, particularly in 2018 when we had a `scorcher` of a summer and by the time mid August had arrived, all things were in place and the greatest Irish music & dance gathering got underway and passed off without a hitch and, by all accounts in its aftermath, those in their thousands who had attended were left with lasting memories of this wonderful occasion on the Banks of the Boyne. Unfortunately, the town of Mullingar in our neighbouring county of Westmeath, were all set and ready to host the 2020 Fleadh Cheoil; plans have been in the making and all set-to-go later in the summer and, now in early May, as the summer begins to unfold, the people of Mullingar, local businesses, etc. etc. must be left totally devastated; another `victim` of this deadly virus. Drogheda hosted this event for two years in succession; it will be interesting to see what the immediate future now holds for such large-scale gatherings as we move forward.

CURRENT CRISIS

Back in the winter of 1739/40, a heavy winter frost set in across Britain and the island of Ireland in the aftermath of Christmas of 1739 and as the year 1740 began the cold weather prevailed and there was no sign of any thaw or let-up with the frost. Initially people thought that this was wonderful, skating on frost-covered ponds and lakes, the gentry of the day were hosting parties on the frozen ice, such as at Beaulieu House just outside Drogheda; there was dancing and even a pig-roast turning on a Spit in the centre of the frozen pond at Beaulieu.

Local people were excited to see the great Boyne River had also frozen over and, by and large, the populace treated this bad weather event as a novelty at first.

This `novelty` however, was not long wearing thin when the frost didn’t go away as the country emerged into the spring of 1740 and when it did become milder during the early summer of 1740, a drought then set in which lasted the whole summer and autumn of 1740.

By the winter of 1740 into 1741, this dreaded frost came back again, rivers lakes, ponds all froze over, coal could not be extracted from the ground in Britain, ships were frozen in ports and harbours and mill-wheels couldn’t turn so flour could not be ground and so the bakers had no bread to make, while the humble spud had also frozen in their storage-pits underground.

The `novelty` soon wore off as people began to realize that this had become pretty serious and within a very short space of time, it had become a total catastrophe with people dying of both exposure to the cold, along with that of starvation and killer viruses. It was totally devastating, not just on the economy of the day, but more importantly, on the health and the lives of the populace and, as a result, some serious riots took place across the country with one of the first outbreak of `social disobedience` actually taking place in Drogheda. By the time this event had ended, over half-a-million people had died across Ireland as a result.

This strange phenomenon lasted until the spring of 1741 and, apparently, it had an effect all across Europe and it is believed that it may have been caused initially by some kind of volcanic eruption way out in Eastern Europe. There is a book written on this event of 1740/41 which is titled `Ireland`s Mini IceAge`, written by a man named David Dickson, from Trinity College some years ago.

The current crisis that we now find ourselves in as a result of the virus Covid 19 reminds me of the catastrophe of the mid-18th century. Firstly it becomes a `novelty`; “Ah sure it’s only something that`s out there in China, we`ll be alright here in little Ireland, it won’t come here”! So, then it did come and people were told that they couldn’t go to work and the schools were closed: this became a `novelty` at first, to some. “Ah sure isn’t this great, off work now for a few weeks, even with pay; this is great”!

Everyone out walking, but not the elderly, they have to stay at home and peer at the world outside through their front windows, wondering if indeed they may ever see and hold their childen and grandchildren again. “Sure it`s only for a short period, we`ll be grand”! “Off school now, for weeks and weeks and weeks, sure isn’t this great”!

As what happened back in 1740/41; the `Novelty` soon wares off when people begin to see the `fuller-picture` off what exactly may be ahead of us regarding the freedom to move about at will, where and when we want to as our own choice. Currently, this `choice` is no longer our own!