Recalling the many people who provided food for Irish famine victims
IN a remarkable confession at last week’s Speakeasy Toastmasters meeting, Bobby Buckley acknowledged that he couldn’t say the word “no”.
With his hugely entertaining speech - “Yes Man”, he recalled his grandmother describing him as “willing and very amiable” and replying “yes, Nana”. He proceeded to say “yes” to life and, most importantly, to his wife! The result was a house full with children and a life of fulfillment.
Recently, he said “yes” to his wife’s suggestion to take in a holiday in Hong Kong. Taking in this cultural experience, he walked the main street in the highly populous Kowloon area. A street which is approximately the same length as Patrick Street involved an hour long walk to reach the opposite end.
To his wife’s suggestion, he said “yes” to forsaking Hotel Food and experiencing the ambience of Hong Kong’s gigantic food hall and enjoying the authentic local food.
Food played a central part, too, in Vincent Harris’s speech - “One Good Deed”. He brought his audience right back to the dark days of the eighties and “Slattery’s Bus” transporting young Irish men to London where they hoped to gain meaningful employment and accommodation. On the journey down from Pembroke to London, the driver stopped at a small, unremarkable service station.
But a strange thing happened to the young, anxious men traveling into the unknown. Over some coffee and a full English breakfast, the hospitality and compassion of the chef and the waitress helped to lift the tension for all the emigrants. It seemed that the bus driver, in an act of kindness, deliberately chose this remote cafe for this reason.
As Vincent arrived in the vast skyscraper land of London, he was no longer afraid but hopeful that everything was going to work out for him. And for that he remains thankful to a considerate bus driver.
The kindness of strangers was the theme of Michael Cronin’s “Heroes of the Famine”. Michael brought to life the turbulent and traumatic times of 1840’s Ireland when the great hunger (many would describe it as a great starvation) decimated the Irish population. Over a million people died and an equal number left the country.
What is often forgotten is the contribution made by various individuals and organisations to distribute much needed food to a desperate and destitute people. Notable efforts were made by the British Relief Association to raise funds for famine relief. In March, 1847, the Association organised a hugely successful Day of Fast in England and, like a lot of charitable events, those who could least afford it gave the most.Even convicts in a London prison gave generously.
Two members of the Association, the Polish aristocrat and explorer Count Pawel Strzelecki, and Matthew Higgins, led a campaign to provide Indian meal and rice to the starving masses on the western seaboard counties of Mayo, Sligo and Donegal.
The Society of Friends or The Quakers mobilised their congregation to help the destitute. Raising over £200,000, they organised food, blankets and medicine and encouraged self sufficiency. Several members made the ultimate sacrifice when they succumbed to disease which was rampant.
Other notable volunteers, like the American, Asinate Nichelson played their part in bringing relief to the famine stricken families. The kindness of these compassionate strangers should never be forgotten when we reflect on our greatest tragedy.
Claire O’Connell addressed the subject of “The Hidden Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners”. At a time when a lot of focus is on the negative side effects of sugar, it is conveniently forgotten that the myriad of artificial sweeteners can induce all the bad side effects of sugar and others as well. They contribute to depression, heart disease, cancers and obesity. In short, they are too sweet to be wholesome.
The most striking argument in Claire’s talk was that sugar is a natural product that can be produced organically. Sweeteners are laboratory produced with side effects still under investigation. Moderation in everything seems to be the key to health, and avoidance of sugars and sweeteners is advisable.
By contrast, Gordon Sharp-Bolster gave a fascinating insight into the crisis that faces American football. “Politics in American Sport” focused on the ongoing Colin Kaepernick protest which has seen several coloured footballers refusing to stand for their National Anthem. The “taking the knee” protest began as a response to the perceived discrimination and brutality against African-Americans by the Police force. The situation has been politiced further by the interventions of President Trump which are aimed at galvanizing his support base.
Commercial considerations muddy the waters even further. Sportswear giants, Nike continue to sponsor Colin Kaepernick and have seen their market share soar. This stand off highlights the poisonous state of race relations that blight American society.
Readers have enquired about the choice of subjects that speakers address. All subjects are self-chosen and reflect the interests of the speaker. The Toastmasters programme focuses on assisting the speaker to speak skillfully and confidently.
Each of the above speakers was evaluated by an assigned evaluator. Theresa O’Reilly, Kieran Butler, Helsa Giles, Marie Lynes and Marie Fitzpatrick provided comprehensive and useful feedback to the speakers. At the meeting’s conclusion, awards were presented to Vincent Harris, Best Speaker and Theresa O’Reilly, Best Evaluator.
The next Speakeasy Toastmasters meeting takes place in the Hibernian Hotel on Thursday, February 21 at 8pm As always, guests are welcome and are not obliged to speak unless they wish to do so.
For more information please check out ST website speakeasytoastmasters.com or on Facebook.