From the Archives: ‘Fearless reporting' lauded by judge at Mayo Press ball

AT the annual dinner dance of the Mayo branch of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the Travellers’ Friend Hotel, Castlebar, in April 1967, District Justice Hugh McGahon said the Press in Mayo was an example of ‘fearless reporting’.

Guest of honour at the function, which was attended by 150 guests, was the Minister for Health, Mr. Sean Flanagan.

Prior to the dinner the chairman of the branch, Mr. Tom Courell, made a presentation of the branch's annual award for outstanding service to the community to what was then the fledgling Western Care Association, which included an illuminated scroll.

Mr. Sean Staunton, The Connaught Telegraph, secretary of the branch, in the citation, said the association had been in existence for 15 months, with seven branches operating throughout the county with a total membership of 1,100.

The association had collected a total of £6,000 towards the building of St. Anthony’s National School, to be opened in Castlebar. The four-roomed school with four teachers would accommodate 80 pupils within a radius of 25 miles of Castlebar.

The running costs of the school would be in the region of £2,000 per year - 'a mammoth task for the association'. Not alone, however, has the challenge been readily accepted but after the opening of the new school further efforts would be made by the Association to open a second one.

“For these reasons it is our privilege and pleasure to present our award to the three managers of the proposed new school - Ven. Archdeacon William Nohilly, who has given assistance to the Association since its foundation, Mr. Tom Fallon, whose brainchild the Mayo Association was, and last but by no means least, Mr. Michael J. Egan, president of the Association, a man whose name is stamped on almost everything that is good for our community."

District Justice Hugh C. McGahon, in proposing a toast to the Press, said he thought it was impossible to summarise in a few minutes all he would like to say about the Press.

In his occupation he had much to do with the Press and they had much to do with him. They did it very kindly, he said.

He had close contact with the Mayo Press in the courts and he took this opportunity to pay tribute to their reporting ‘with the most faithful accuracy’ the proceedings in the courts.

Some people might think there was no great difficulty in that but they were many obstacles in the way of the faithful reporter, he said.

The acoustics were deplorable in the courthouses of Mayo. Somebody told him recently that this was due to the fact that a lot of them had high ceilings to allow for the expansion of hot air in the room, he quipped.

Reporters had often to deal with ambiguous and legalised terms which they had to transcribe into intelligent prose for the benefit of their readers.

In other places, dance halls mostly, the ink of the reporters pen was apt to freeze.

They had a final difficulty, he said, which may not be known to many. These were the people who, to get over their difficulty, reach the reporters as they leave court and say they knew his (reporter’s) father in an effort to get the case left out of the paper.

The Justice said he never had any trouble in his dealings with reporters in Mayo and it was his privilege and honour to pay the highest tribute to them.

The accurate, authentic repairing of the news was the primary function of newspapers. No less important was the control papers had in educating people through articles of one type or another.

In Ireland they are fortunate to have a Press which was able to express its views freely.

The Press of Mayo was an example of that fearless reporting and he hoped it would continue to be so.

Mr. Gerard Bracken, editor, Mayo News, welcomed all the guests, especially the minister, whom the people of Mayo had come to regard as one of their own.

The pressmen of the county were proud of the fact that a Mayoman was chosen for the honoured post as Minister for Health.

Mr. Flanagan, he said, was always a good friend of the Press and he hoped the cordial relations would continue.

Health Minister Mr. Flanagan said he accepted responsibility in preserving the population of the west. One must accept the reality of change in the community and the fact of change was something which must be accepted by all.

In his time as minister, not necessarily to his own energy, additions were being made to the County Hospital, the Mental Hospital, the County Home in Castlebar and plans for Swinford Hospital were under consideration. These were all-important improvements and would be pushed ahead as quickly as possible.

Minister Flanagan said he hoped he as minister would play fair with the journalists in his dealings with him.

The provincial papers played an important part in the development of the community, even though people may be absent from where they would like to be in their home county.