'We said prayers in the way a machine gun dispenses rounds of ammunition'

'We said prayers in the way a machine gun dispenses rounds of ammunition'

Billy Gallagher reflects upon the dogma of the Catholic education he received as a child and he shares some memories from his days as an altar boy.

Billy Gallagher

Trinity College Dublin

2011

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Billy Gallagher

Reflections

Life Story

Strabane, Co. Tyrone

2000's

We were absolutely certain that all 'non Catholics' were damned, that Jews were thugs and that atheists were the scum of all the scums.We said prayers in the way a machine gun dispenses rounds of ammunition and as altar boys we gave out the Latin responses in similar fashion. It made no difference if it were Latin or English, no one ever suggested to me we were supposed to understand what we were saying. Just say as many Hail Mary's as you could.As altar boys we had one great duty at funerals when 'offerings' were taken up for the benefit of the priest in honour of the dead. Everyone in the church would file up to the table in front of the altar and say 'Willie Gallagher - one pound'; the next person 'Paddy McGettigan - ten shillings'; the next 'Billy McColgan ' five shillings'. The priest would call it out as it was given to the congregation. When all was done the altar boys and the sacristan took it all away, the tables included, to the sacristy to count while the priest would preach a 'panegyric' (i.e. a few words praising the deceased, what a fine person he was, what a wonderful family man etc.). When the money was counted a note would be brought out to the priest who would announce 'the offerings came to X amount' at which the panegyric would cease immediately. When you met someone later that day the only question asked was 'how much were the offerings?'. This was the figure that totalled the popularity of the deceased. That was why Paddy McBrearty was one of the greatest men in Strabane.Several times a year collections were taken up and the list was read from the altar subsequently, in order from the biggest amount to the smallest. These were the Christmas and Easter dues. There was a competition to be first and two of the parishioners vied always for this position, the local solicitor and the local auctioneer. Ten pounds was a huge contribution, the weekly wage of a bank official. Two and sixpence was the sum from the poorest.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)