By Sean Collins
As the 2023 Christmas season gets into full swing amid wind and torrential rain, historian Sean Collins has come across a report published in a local paper in 1929 which gives us a glimpse of Christmas past that might be entertaining. The reporter of the time was certainly not too happy with the weather either!
“It was a wild Christmas from the weather point of view, the wildest within memory, but the celebration of the festival locally was marked by that peace and quietness which have come to be the customary features of Christmas in our midst.
“Christmas Eve night was ushered into the accompaniment of a storm of rain and wind which rendered the last minute shopping of hundreds of townsfolk a most unpleasant experience.
“Around nine o’clock the storm was at it’s worst and women and children, who were hurrying home parcel laden, found progress almost impossible at some of the outlying portions of the town.
“By 11 o’clock, however, the storm had subsided, temporarily at least and the thousands of Drogheda’s citizens who went out to attend Midnight Mass in one or other of our five churches, found that the night was quite fine, if a little cold.
“The scenes at Midnight Mass at all five churches were deeply impressive, all of them being crowded to the doors with a devout congregation, the greater part of which approached the altar rails to receive holy communion and provided eloquent proof of the fact that in this old Catholic town the meaning of the Feast of Christmas has not been blurred by any of the vapouring of modern materialism.
“Very large congregations were again assisting a second mass at daybreak and at the several other masses of the day, including the Solemn high Masses at noon in St. Peters, the Augustinian, Dominican, and Franciscan Churches. In St. Mary’s midnight Mass was a Solemn High Mass.
“The special music of the masses was in all cases deeply devotional the Adeste Fidelis, see Amid the Winter Snow, and Joyful News the Angels Bring as appropriate anthems of the festival being rendered with particular effect.
“The beautiful cribs in St. Marys and the Franciscan Churches were central features of the decoration and attracted large numbers of the faithful during Christmas Day and St. Stephens Day.
“In the churches of our Protestant citizens special Christmas services were also held and attended by large congregations.
“Of the material observance of the feast there is little to be said except that it was a quiet and apparently happy Christmas for everybody in these parts. To get home was everyone’s desire and all the previous day, members of Drogheda families whose lot is cast in other parts had been arriving home for Christmas.
Even in the afternoon of Christmas Day nobody moved out of doors, all agreeing, as if it were by a psychological pact, to spend this one entire day at home. And even if one had wanted to go out the evening was anything but enticing, a storm of wind and rain breaking out after dinner and continuing to rage with fury far into the night.
The only accident of the storm reported is the fall of a chimney of a house on the Marsh Road on Christmas Eve night but as to whether that was due to the wind or to the entry of Santa Claus opinions seem to differ.
On St. Stephens Day quietude again prevailed the only disturbing feature being the “Wren Boys” who descended on the town to collect their toll.
The carol singers, who so kindly gave their vocal and musical services at often very considerable inconvenience, in aid of the poor children of the town, finished up their programme on Saturday night last, their route being via West Street, Shop Street, Bullring, James Street and parts of the Dublin Road, where they succeeded in collecting over £28.00, a very large sum surely when one considers the numerous charities the public have recently subscribed to.
On Sunday they ventured into the fringe of County Meath, touching Mount Granville, Platten, Mount Hanover, Bellewstown, Hilltown , Laytown, and Bettystown and netted some £15.00.
Their total collection amounted to £87 7s 7d, which was distribute amongst 800 of the poorest families in food vouchers value 2s each. The Sisters of Charity and the Sisters of Mercy were entrusted with the distribution”.
Also in 1929
Also in 1929, the Irish Free State was now seven years old. A declaration put forward in January said that “all cats from abroad, except Great Britain are to be kept in quarantine for a period of six months to avoid rabies”.
The G.P.O. in O’Connell Street was reopened fully refurbished after the ravages of the 1916 Rising. 300,000 people attended a Pontifical high Mass in Phoenix Park to mark the Centenary of Catholic Emancipation.
The Shannon Hydro-Electric Scheme engineered by Drogheda native McLoughlin was officially opened. October brought the Wall Street Crash.
The Censorship of Publications Act was first introduced and was indeed only revoked this year 2023. Niall Tobin, the actor was born and Jim Connell, trade unionist and writer of the “Red Flag” a native of County Meath died.
In Drogheda, Maher’s Chemist took over Hamill’s Medical Hall in Laurence St. Confirmation suits were on sale for eight shillings at Gallaghers of Shop Street.
Amid calls for a Drogheda Civic week, a Whist drive was held to raise funds for the Cottage Hospital. A “Cinderella Dance’ was held to support Drogheda United. New gates and piers were placed on St. Peter’s Cemetery, they were actually the old gates from Brookville House on the Ballymakenny Road.
In the pre-Christmas sales Power’s of Shop Street offered thousands of bargains and the Alpha House at the Tholsel declared themselves to be first with the latest fashions for ladies.
