Pages past: Language troubles at Mullingar

Westmeath Independent, February 27 1954

At the beginning of the meeting of Westmeath Committee of Agriculture in Mullingar, Mr J McAuley proposed that they follow the procedure adopted at the county council and address Mr WJ Finerty (chairman) as cathaoirleach.

Mr F Waters – As far as I am concerned, I will address him as the chairman. I know nothing about Irish, I am sorry to say, but I will not learn anything of it by addressing Mr Finerty as cathaoirleach.

Mr McCauley – You are the very man who proposed at Athlone Urban Council that their workers should be called ‘scuabadoirs’.

Mr Walters – Because some of your people on the council call them ‘scavengers’.

Mr J O’Brien – I second Mr McCauley.

Mr Waters to Mr Finerty – Does that prevent me from calling you Mr Chairman?

Chairman – As far as I’m concerned, it does not.

Mr Waters said that when Mr McCauley presided at the county council meetings, he had the habit of calling out the number of each item on the agenda in Irish. He failed when they reached item 15 because he did not know the Irish for it.

Mr G L’Estrange spoke in Irish and Mr Waters followed in his usual ‘Spanish’.

The chairman, having declared Mr McAuley’s proposal as passed, asked if there was any objection to him signing the minutes of the last meeting.

Mr McCauley – Níl.