The Leader, Iúil 1989

THE SAMARATIN 12 When Mr. Anthony Delap of Gweedore (God rest him) was manning Cashelnagore station in his young days, a young man from Meendeny nearby came home from Sc~tland afflicted by some incurable disease. His untimely end was inevitable, but to give him the maximum ofrelief the Scottish Hospital in which he was a patient, gave him a month's supply ofcertain pills assuring him that the longer he kept taking them, the longer would be his expectations of life. Things went will while the supply lasted, and though he contacted many chemists in three parishes with his pre– scription, not one of them could supply them. Eventually he was informed that the only place stocking them was a certain British-based pharmacy in Deny and that theywould cost him over a pound for a month's supply. Irrespec– tive of the price of the pills, Deny was a long way from his home, Deny was a long way from his home, involving fur– ther expense which resulted in the poor fellow being at this wit's end as to what he should do. Then someone thought of the train that went to Deny at mid-day and returned the following morning without fail. The only trouble now was getting some member ofthe train staffto undertake the responsibility of procur– ing the pills and bringing them home. Tierney was the only person who re- - sided in the city and knew where the pharmacy was, so it seemed to Mr. Delap to be his best chance when teh man came to his office one day and poured out his pathetic story. being all his life a kind and compassionate man the station-master told the anxious man that he would do everything in his power to assist him, by explaining his predicament as appealingly as possible to Tierney. The man then left a pound note on the table and set off home in high spirits. When Tierney came in the next day to convert his money, Anthony told him the whole story from beginning to end and to his great surprise the driver volunteered to do the mission without a murmur. He was back the following mornig with the pills. So every month without fail te man left the money and the driver delivered the medication. But a certain month came and the man failed to appear. Tierney wondered about this, and asked the station-mas– ter whether the man died.Anthony as– sured him that he was s till alive, while he suggested the possibilityofthe man's resources having run out, being so long without work. Tierney said nothing, but when the down-train arived the next day there he was with the pills in his hand. For a further tow years he deliv– ered the packed without fail, and never once in the course ofall that time did he mention the money he was obviously due. Then one daywhen Tierney entered teh office to convert his five-pound note into silver, the station-master told him not to get any more pills because the man had died the previous night. Tier– ney seemed genuinely distressed. MDid he leave any of a family?" he asked Mr. Delap. MA wife and three children under twelve.· Anthony told him. Tierney laid his fiver down on the table while the statiuon-master went to the safe to take out some silver. When the pile was counted out, he raised his head to find that Tierney was not there. By Brian O'Byrne Thinking that he must have forgotten, Anthony grabbed the silver and ran out on to the platform as the driver was about to board his engine. , MMr. Tierney" Anthony shouted you have forgotten to take your money. He waved an arm in a manner that implied that it did not matter. MSend it to the man's wife and chil– dren" he shouted with a smile, God knows they need it more than I do.· Orange or blue, eccentric or not, Tierney was a man ofGod to have done so much for people whom he never met in his life. ·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:.:·:·:·:·:·:·:::::::::::::;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:::::::::::::·::::;::·:·:····-··· :=:::::;:::::::::::::::::::::::::;:::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::: ::::::::::::::;:;::::::::~ :.:-:.: . '.•'..'.•'.•'.·:.:.:.:·'..: ·=:;;:·'.·'.·'.·'.··.·..•• .·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.··.·.·.·.·'.·.···.··-:-:-:-·-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:·:·:·:·: :::=:::::::::::::;::::;:;:;:;:·:;:-:-:-:-·.·.·.···· Yeats' Ireland Last week I attended launching of a book. Its title is Yeats' Ireland, and it is described as an illustrated anthology. It is edited by Benedict Kiely and the illustrations must be seen to be appre– ciated. Book lovers buy this book. What a wonderful poet was William Butler Yeats; a poet for all seasons in– deed, but what an insight he had into the hearts of the Irish people and into the future. In September 1913, he wrote: MWhat need you, being come to sense, But fumble in the greasy till, And add the halfpence to the pence And prayer to shivering prayer until You have dried the marrow from the bone? For men were born to pray and save: Romantic Ireland's dead and gone It's with O'Leary in the grave". Paddy Tunney •• l)()Nlll~llC• -l~I~l~(~'l 1 llf)Nl(~S I~'J11). "Vorsprung durch Erfahrung" (AS THEY SAY IN GERMANY) ASTRA SATELLITE SYSTEMS NOW AVAILABLE GOOD QUALITY SECOND-HAND TELEVISIONS IN STOCK RENT A COLOUR TV FROM £2.50 PER WEEK! Call and see the Latest Range of TV's, Video and Audio Products I EASY PAY SYSTEM AVAILABLE! I TV · VIDEO AUDIO · AERIALS ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS WASHING MACHINES INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONIC COMPUTERS D0NHEllG· EIJ~(~'l'llONH~S SCHOOLMASTERS HOUSE RANAFAST,ANNAGRY,CO.DONEGAL TEL. 075·48275