Guth & Tuairim, Iúil 1981

The Potato Blight and Public Works in Gyeedor e (Ar Leanllint). 6 litir a f oilsiodh ins an "Times " i Londain ar 13/9/1890. Tonuis 0 Cuir ea'in a t hug an cbip du'inn. a The present means of regular communication bet ween Gweedare and Derry by l and i s one cart, whi ch carries hal f a ton, once a week. In the meant ime every effort is being made by local ent erprise t o avail i tself of the shelter provided by the roads between islands and the mainland, and very imperfect harbours , to run small coasting steamers between the Donegal villages and Londonderry, and to develop the trade of a sea-board population by a> means of the highway of t he sea: In Gweedore there ia a very small natural harbour formed by the embouchere of ~ the river Claddy, at one s i de of which the late Lord George Hill built a quay. A bar; covered by only half a '13 ~ f oot of water at l ow tide, renders this little harbour almost practical ly useless , as only vessel s drawing but ~~ 10 f t. of water can enter i t at hi gh water at spring tides . No coasting or passing steamer will spare the time ~ ~ or run the r isk of coming into i t , and o~ occasionally a l ittle steamer is chartered to run in and deliver -~~ stores. A mile to the nor t h are the excellent Gola Roads , wher e vessel s can ride safely in deep water and good t. ~ anchorage under the shelter of a semi-circle of i slands, Here in t he r oads coasting st eamers call r egularly in ~~ the Summer time; but owing to the want of a pi er goods have t o be shipped and delivered in open fishing boat s at ~ 2t considerable cost, and to t he preclusion of the transit of weighty goods or of live stock. In the report of the lii8 Royal Commission on Irish Public Works, 1888, Gola Roads are spoken of as affording "natural shelter," and i t iiJ 0 is strongly recorunended that a pier should be erected at this point for coasting, trading, and fishing purposes.~~ Ever since 1886, when evidence was given before the Commission on this subject, the crying need of the district ~ 1l for a pier has been urged on the Government, in season and out of season. Without such a pier the local trade &~ of Gweedore is crippled, and in many cases absolutely paralyzed. In carrying out our industrial work in 3 Gweedore, and _in building and fitting with engines and machinery a small woolen factory which I have recently ~ ~ £rected _and opened, the want of a pier at whi ch steamers could call and deliver goods has been cruelly felt. Wool, looms, etc., have been carried for six weeks by the coasting steamer before they could be safely transhipped in open boats, and heavy goods and machinery have often lain for weeks at Derry, and have flnally been transported by road at a cost of from 50s. to 60. per ton. If the want of this pier is so much felt i n an industry where the determination to succeed finally overcomes all obstacles, and where the motive is solely the desire to help the people, it can perhaps be surmised how the small industries of an agricultural people, which must make profits at once - the egg, poultry, and butter industries for instance - cannot even make a start owing to the want of the means of sea transit. Also, Gweedore and the neighbouring districts are cut off dlmost entirely by the want of a pier at which goods could be landed from participating in the immense amount of work which is given out from the great shirt-making, underlinen, and sewed-mualim houses of Belfast and Derry, and which I know of my own knowledge would reach t hem if cheap transit were provided. What we, therefore, ask is that, without any unnecessary delay, the pier so strongly recommended by the Commission on Irish Public Works at Magheragallon, in Gola Roads, should at once be commenced, to give the people employment in the coming crisis, and to give Gweedore the means of developing its increasing local - trade. I have personally brought this subject before the noti ce of l·lr. Balfour· and the Treasury, Sir Edward Watkin ~~ kindly sent at my request an engineer to Gweedore to survey the site and report on the probable cost of the d ~ pier. According to this gentleman's estimate, a substantial commercial pier at Magheragallon would cost about ~3 £16,000. We earnestly trust, therefore, that the Government will execute this urgently required piece of public • \.-1 work out of the large funds at their, disposal voted to provide t he means of transit in the congested ~a distri cts. ..., \~ 4. Ipdustrial Emplqyment. - The increase of the industries of Gweedore depends mai nly upon improved means of ~~ transit. In the meantime all and each of us can aid the industrial work going on there by following Swift's & ~ advice, and "Dress in manufactures made at home." Homespuns, tweeds lace, underlinen, hoisery, are now ., excellently well made in Gweedore by the workers we have trained, and are sold for them at Donegal-House, 43 I ~ Wigmore Street. A not inconsiderable sum is paid weekly tr~ough our agency into the village for wages. Our 1~ factory, worked entirely by Donegal boys we have taught, is one of the chief hopes of Gweedore. If anybody M t would aid us in this industrial endeavour to save the peopl e by honest and intelligent work, I would be glad if ~M he would communicate with me. ~\";;! I most earnestly hope t hat the cry of "famine" whi ch has been raised will not lead friends to propose ill- z c,.., cons idered measures of relief and to proffer eleemosynary help, which is so hurtful to the manliness and independence of a brave people. Work is all the Gweedore people ask for t t emselves, work i1 all we ask for them; the work of opening up their country by railways, pi ers, and harbours and the work of industrial employment, Trusting you will favour me by the insertion of this letter, I am your obedient servant, Alice M. Hart (Mrs. Ernest Hart ) . P.S.-I wi sh to add that the advisability of providing cabbage or other seeds at cost pri ce to the people, and of giving them instructions how to treat the land now cumbered by the spoilt potato crop, has been under consideration, and I am informed that .white stone turnips would be t he best crop to plant in the early spring, but not now. On this subject I shall be glad to receive information or suggestions , as through our technical school and industrial organizabion in Gweedore it would be easy to disseminate information and to dispose of seeds. Donegal Industrial fund, 43 Wigmore St. , London W. Pictiuir:l --~~~~==~~~~==~~~~~~~~-=~~~~----------------------------------~~B~/Tiw~~~~nl~ar~g~ements of mos t Can you name thi s Celt i c t eam and t he year?. photographs publ ished in thi s paper are now avail able in 2 sizes 5 X 7 @ 80p I O X 8 @ £I 60 Postage & Packing 20p extra. I "Photographs" nGut h Tuairim" I Seoladh 7 Doire Beaga Aonghus: Angus, Aeneas, I Neece. Niece f rom 'oir.·.r!]'Jstu-s' (oinos=one, gustus=choice). I Art: From 'arto-s'=stone or bear. Barra: A pet form of I Fionnbb '' P " on of the Diocese ul C . which is a compound of ' lionn' fair, and I " bar r" meuning head. Br:.J:.: _A nun ~t: mJde _fa,mous ~;y K1ng 8· 1an Boru.