The Battle of the Clocks
PART ONE
BY JOHN FITZGERALD
Putting the clocks back or forward by an hour as required is something we take for granted nowadays. But this has not always been the case.
In 1956, one town in Ireland was convulsed by a bitter and prolonged dispute about whether clocks should go forward in the spring. Callan had witnessed many upheavals of a religious and political nature. And elderly folk could still recall the great faction fights of the previous century. But in terms of sheer oddness and illogicality, none of these compared to the civic divisions created in Callan by the Government’s decision to impose Official Summer Time in Ireland.
Most Irish people accepted the proposed change, if sometimes reluctantly. The suggestion that we follow Britain’s lead and put the clocks forward as summer approached seemed reasonable. In Callan, however, it became an explosive issue. This was resolved only after a plebiscite was held to test local opinion on the relative merits of ‘Old Time and New Time’.
By the end of February 1956, people employed in state run services in Callan had agreed to recognise Summer Time, partly because they had no choice. The banks, post office, labour exchange, and Garda barracks observed Summer Time, as did the bacon factory, a turf accountant, and some of the pubs.
But the majority of Callan residents observed Old Time, and the schools, churches, County Council workers, and a number of merchants likewise upheld the tradition. Seamous O’ Brien, local correspondent for the Kilkenny People, wrote: “The chaos and disorder occasioned by the operation of both Old and Official Summer Time in Callan has to be experienced to be understood. Confusion is widespread.”
Mr. O’Brien spelled out a few of the problems caused: People whose clocks were turned to Old Time were in the habit of missing busses, trains, or arriving late at a bookie’s office to place bets. Some felt grievously offended when they walked into Callan from outlying areas to find a pub closed. They had to return to their homes, thirsty and swearing.
To confuse matters further, the nearby village of Mullinahone was twenty-five minutes behind Callan, just as Callan was an hour behind Kilkenny, which observed Summer Time. A cyclist at the time recalled hearing the Angeles ring out three times as he passed from Kilkenny through Callan to Mullinahone. The latter village observed what it called ‘God’s Own Time’. The locals believed that noon always occurred when the sun was at the highest point in the heavens.
Mass-goers in Callan arrived in church on time, however, because the Parish Priest, Most Reverend Dr. Doyle, was a passionate believer in Old Time. But even here there was a catch. Some sporting events observed New Time and worshippers ended up missing these or turning up at a match well into the second half after going to Mass.
The greatest opposition to Summer Time came from the farming community. Farmers feared that putting their clocks forward would upset their cows and result in lower milk yields! This in turn created a dilemma for shopkeepers. Whatever their views on the issue, they could not afford to offend the farmers, who happened to be their best customers. The Parish Priest backed the farmers but emphasised in a sermon that people who observed New Time were not committing a sin.
In an effort to end the confusion, the Callan Town Development Association decided in March to hold a plebiscite on the issue. This would, it believed, resolve the question of conflicting Times Zones in Callan once and for all. After a lengthy debate, and consultations with local businesses, farmers, and community leaders, the CTDA set April 28th as referendum day. Ballot papers would be issued to 1,700 voters in the area. Any person whose name was on the Electoral lists of 1956 would be entitled to vote.
The days and weeks leading up to the ballot were marked by intensive lobbying by those for and against the adoption of Summer Time. People in Callan talked about little else: both parties called Public meetings, and these often ended in disarray. One meeting was cut short after fistfights broke out in the Parish Hall between Old Timers and New Timers.
Calm was restored when Gardai arrived and the Parish Priest intervened. There were angry exchanges and further fisticuffs in the pubs, and a rift opened up between town and country over the issue. Emotions ran high, and people were often afraid to ask the time for fear of starting a row.
The reply to such a question would always be: “Do you mean Old Time or New
Time?” Depending on your preference, he or she might either tell you the time or say nothing and walk away. Old Timers shunned New Timers in much the same way as former Free Staters and Irregulars eyed each other with suspicion after the Civil War.
To be continued…
(More stories of those bygone times can be read in my book Callan in Words and Pictures, which is available from Amazon)
