Call for statue to be erected in Bansha in honour of the founder of Muintir na Tíre

As a Bansha man and a former National President of Muintir na Tíre, I was anxious to mark both the 75th anniversary of Rural Electrification for Bansha and the contribution of the founder of Muintir na Tíre Canon John Hayes to Rural Development.

I organised for a Mass to be celebrated for Canon Hayes and the deceased members of Muintir na Tíre at the Church of the Annunciation, Bansha to be followed by a seminar titled ‘The Priest, The People and The Light’ at Templeneiry Church on Saturday, October 21.

Fr. Micheál Hickey, Parish Priest of Bansha and Kilmoyler celebrated the Mass and afterwards a plaque to Canon Hayes was unveiled in the Church grounds by his niece Áine McNamara (Murroe) and nephew Tom Hayes (Kildimo), which was blessed by Fr. Hickey.

In his homily Fr. Hickey paid tribute to the leadership of Canon Hayes and to all who have followed in his footsteps. Fr. Hickey reminded those present of the light of the Church which Canon Hayes proclaimed along with the light that came into people’s homes through rural electrification.

Following the blessing of the plaque there was a visit to the grave of Canon Hayes by his many relatives that had gathered for the Mass and Seminar.

Moving on to the seminar, the church had a great display of electrical items relating to rural electrification.

Fellow Bansha man and ex ESB staff member, Bernard O’Connell, had brought part of the exhibition that he has curated along to the event and of great significance was the clock that was given to Canon Hayes when he switched on the lights for Bansha in 1948 by the ESB officer, which was on display and still in perfect working order.

COUNCIL CHAIRMAN OPENS SEMINAR

Opening the seminar we heard from the Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council Cllr Ger Darcy and from the National President of Muintir na Tíre, Jackie Meally. Both of them spoke about the influence of Canon Hayes on rural Ireland and of the importance in recognising the founder of Muintir na Tíre.

To set the scene for the Seminar I played a recording from the BBC World Service, which was aired on August 23 this year and titled ‘How electricity came to rural Ireland.’

The programme in the Witness History series featured a recording from Bansha about how it became to be one of the first villages in rural Ireland to be connected to the national grid under the Rural Electrification Scheme and featured Canon Hayes switching on the lights for Bansha with the words “Now we will switch on the lights for Bansha and here goes in the name of God.”

My address to the Seminar was titled “In the footsteps of Canon Hayes.”

I spoke about the great honour it was for me to be elected as National President and to follow in the footsteps of Canon Hayes.

"Following in the footsteps of Canon John Hayes was a profound and humbling experience for me. It is not just a position; it is a responsibility to nurture and propel forward the principles that have defined Muintir na Tíre for generations. For Canon Hayes’ legacy to live on, not as a relic of the past, but as a vibrant force shaping the future of community development in Ireland, it was important that the resilience, spirit, and commitment to positive change that Canon Hayes instilled in the very fabric of Muintir na Tíre would continue to guide my actions. Reflecting on my time as National President, I am reminded that following in the footsteps of Canon John Hayes was not a mere replication but a dynamic continuation of a legacy".

I also paid tribute to the late Tom Fitzgerald who was ‘my guiding light’ during my Presidency and I also remembered former board members, Martin Lonergan and Myles McNamara, who had passed away in July 2021 and February 2023, respectively. I also availed of the opportunity to call for a statue to be erected in Bansha to commemorate Canon John Hayes.

CALL FOR A STATUE TO CANON HAYES

“One of my key reasons for organising this seminar was to remember Canon Hayes in the parish that he loved and did so much for, and where he is interred. Canon Hayes should never be forgotten especially in this parish. There are statues of priests throughout the country and yet nothing of Canon Hayes here in this parish, a place that was put on the map by the initiatives that were rolled out here when he was Parish Priest. Could I suggest that it is now time for one of Canon John Hayes in Bansha. It is essential to acknowledge the extraordinary work of Canon Hayes not just here in Bansha but nationally and internationally. We must ensure that his legacy is protected and honoured and given due recognition.”

Now that the call has been made, I hope that it will receive the necessary support.

The seminar then heard from Dr Barry Sheppard from Belfast. Dr. Sheppard's PhD thesis is focused on Canon Hayes and the transnational connections that Muintir na Tíre made in the mid 20th century and he spoke about the Rural Weeks.

Barry began by saying that the intellectual blueprint for the community development model was being laid from as early as 1933.

“This blueprint was laid out at the organisation’s gatherings, the Rural Weekends, which soon expanded into Rural Weeks, which ran annually between 1937 and the late 1960s, becoming the organisation’s jewel in its crown and making it not only nationally known, but internationally.

“In 1937 the first Rural Week was held at Coláiste Deuglán, Ardmore, County Waterford. The first week-long event attracted a large cross-section of Irish people, albeit on a larger scale.

“Coming to the new look event were ‘farmers, teachers, workers, young people, women and the unemployed,’ who mixed alongside ‘priests, doctors, lawyers and businesspeople’ to discuss the matters of the day.

“The first Rural Week was ‘beyond all expectations.’ The bright new dawn was reflected in newspaper coverage, which hailed the event as a ‘magnificent success,’ opening the door to more domestic and international recognition. Waterford was again the host town of the 1938 Rural Week.

“Although not losing sight of the main goal of reinvigorating rural Ireland, that year’s gathering had a distinct focus on international matters, including what was called the ‘double-star feature,’ the first designated International Day. Representatives from Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, and Britain took up invitations to either attend or have their speeches read out at the first rural international day in Ireland.

“Headlines such as ‘Europe Comes to Ardmore’ galvanised the organisation. By 1956, the last months of the founder’s life, Rural Week had continued to grow. It consistently attracted large audiences and a significant variety of international delegates,”said Sheppard.

BERNARD'S EXHIBITION OF FORMER APPLIANCES

Bernard O’Connell spoke about rural electrification and the appliances.

A retired ESB employee, Bernard is a collector and exhibitor of vintage electrical appliances which pertain to the era of rural electrification.

Bernard has curated an exhibition which he brings to venues around the country and he talked about the items on display including Canon Hayes’ clock. He demonstrated items which were on display and he said that more items from the collection in the ESB archives would be on display in the Hunt Museum later this month.

OPEN INVITATION TO VIEW MUINTIR COLLECTION

The final presentation at the seminar came from Kieran Hoare Archivist at the University of Galway. Kieran’s presentation was on the Muintir na Tíre collection which is housed at the University of Galway.

“The collection includes all the movement’s periodical literature published down the years, principally full sets of rural Ireland and landmark, as well as the minute books of the national executive. The papers of leaders of the movement such as Fr. Hayes, Archbishop Morris, Tomás Roseingrave, Pat Doyle and Jim Quigley, constitute another important element of the collection. The transition to ‘community development’ is the subject of much material, as is Muintir’s involvement with the Community Alert Scheme (and social policy for older people in rural areas).

“Rural development initiatives such as the Parish Plan of the 1950s and the LEADER programmes from the 1990s, are well represented in the archival material. Muintir’s involvement with the Youth Employment Agency in the 1980s is also covered in the collection.

“I extend an open invitation for anyone interested to come and visit the archive department where they will be able to access the records" said Kieran.

In conclusion I want to thank TASK Community Care and Muintir na Tíre for their financial support in hosting the seminar, to Helen Morrissey and Templeneiry Church for the use of the venue and to the guest speakers who contributed so much to remembering and honouring Canon John Hayes and the initiatives that he pioneered.