‘Russian global rocket threat’: Irish Times front pages from St Patrick’s Days past

A delve into the archives to see what was being reported on the front page of The Irish Times on March 17th in previous decades surprisingly turned up topics that remain relevant today. These include housing, emigration, war and equality. And, of course, leprechaun mischief.

1942

The second World War was ongoing, and the front page was dominated by related stories. Among them was a story stating: “There will be no petrol for private cars during May, and during April the basic allowance will be cut by half of the existing rates.”

The anchor ad on the page was a photograph of a couple leaning in over a handwritten letter, with the headline, “Mother is delighted!” The letter is from a mother to her apparently just-married daughter. “Father and I are very lonely since you got married. We are delighted to know you are so happy. Certainly your home is beautiful. It takes Todd Burn’s. Your father got the account and sent them a cheque for the full amount, and we hope you will both live long to enjoy your comfortable home.”

Todd Burn’s was a grand department store on Mary Street, where Penneys is now located. Petrol may have been rationed but, unlike now, newlywed couples could clearly afford to buy houses, and at least some had parents who footed the furnishing bill.

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1952

Racial inequality in South Africa was the main story, which included casual references to “coloured folks” and the fact that white people would shortly celebrate the 300th anniversary of their “white settlement”.

The report stated: “The country’s highest court is due, in a few days, to rule on the legality of the Act which reduces the voting rights of many coloured folks. The Act has been challenged as unconstitutional.

“A judgment for the government will add fuel to the fires of resentment already smouldering among the non-whites, who are launching a national campaign to defy the country’s race laws, on April 6th. That day marks the 300th anniversary of white settlement in South Africa and is being observed in nationwide celebrations.”

1962

Russia was in the news, with “Russian global rocket threat” being the main story. “Mr Khrushchev announced yesterday that Russia had developed a ‘global rocket’.”

This weapon apparently differed from the intercontinental ballistic missile that was then in use. A global rocket “could strike a target from any direction, thus evading the early-warning systems set up by the West across the shortest routes Soviet rockets might take.”

Khrushchev was reported as having spoken about these new rockets at a meeting in his Moscow constituency. The apparent range of these new weapons now meant, according to the report, that “the United States, which had not in the past suffered directly from war, was now also vulnerable”. Krushchev added: “Like all other countries in the world.”

President de Valera was in Rome, where he had just been conferred with the Supreme Order of Christ by the pope’s representative. “It is the highest papal order of distinction . . . The order is very ancient, having been instituted in 1319 by Pope John XXIII. The membership of the order is extremely restricted and, apart from Mr de Valera, it is held by nine living persons.”

These included General Franco of Spain, Charles de Gaulle, president of France, and King Baudouin of Belgium.

The main ad that day was for Odearest mattresses, which was in the form of a cartoon. It depicted a man in a loud suit, with shamrock in his hat, and a camera slung over one shoulder, whom one could guess was meant to be an American tourist. He was at a Garda station, where the calendar showed March 17th. He was holding the mythical pot of gold we are told from childhood can be found at the end of a rainbow. But he didn’t want it. Oh no. The American tourist wanted his mattress back, although how he was going to get it on the plane back home was not explained in the accompanying Limerick.

“The visitor shouted out ‘Say/ As I came here for St Patrick’s Day/ I was given this gold/ By a leprechaun bold/ But he took my Odearest away.”

1972

The main story on the front page was about Britain entering the the European Economic Community (EEC).

“A referendum on the French government’s approval of British membership of the Common Market was announced this afternoon by president Pompidou.” He said: “If we do not build Europe, the European nations will be eclipsed by the other large blocs.”

An ad for the Educational Building Society (EBS) on the front page encouraged readers to “make more money with the EBS. It’s no secret that thousands of people are making money with the EBS.” The ad offered a 6 per cent tax-free return on regular savings, with 5.5 per cent on investments.

Journalist John Healy reported from a depleted Dáil, with – then as now – many senior politicians travelling internationally for St Patrick’s Day. For those who remained in the Dáil, Healy noted, “local government is always a popular subject. Sean Moore of Fianna Fáil was in there to plug his minister who was ‘bringing about a quiet revolution in housing’. Tom Fitzpatrick of Cavan was back, however, to belt him for letting councils build, in 1972, houses without water and sewage in certain localities.”

1982

A decree of nullity of marriage was issued by Justice Rory O’Hanlon in the High Court to a woman on the grounds of duress. This was reported as being the first time an Irish court had granted such nullity on the basis of a “shotgun marriage”.

The couple had met on holidays, when the girl was still at school. They later “testified” that they had sex together just once. The girl became pregnant. The report ran: “The girl was told she would have to get out or get married by her mother while her father was even more agitated. At the same time, stormy scenes were taking place in her boyfriend’s home.

“His father would not speak to him and his mother told him he could not stay in the house. He was told he would have to get married and there was no other option open to him. The situation was so bad he had to leave and go live with a friend.”

The front-page report went on to say that both sets of parents met, in the absence of their son and daughter, and decided without consultation that the two would have to marry immediately. The girl went on to have a miscarriage after the wedding. Three years later, the couple sought a legal annulment, which was granted.

Justice O’Hanlon told the court that the case “reflected an unfortunate situation which must have arisen in relation to very many marriages in this country where the moral code had hitherto rested on a strong bedrock of religious belief”.

1992

It was reported that the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organisation would not be taking part in the St Patrick’s Day parade in New York. A judge had refused to grant an injunction forcing the parade organisers, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, to allow them to participate, on the grounds that it was “pledged to uphold the Catholic faith, which regards homosexual activity as sinful”.

2002

A new record for a house price in Dublin was reported when former hotelier David Doyle paid more than €10 million for a house on Shrewsbury Road, “a record price for a Dublin house with no development potential in the grounds”. The previous most expensive price paid had been in 2000, for a house on Raglan Road.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern wanted EU leaders to guarantee that Irish military neutrality would not be affected by signing the Nice treaty.

It was reported that the Church of Ireland dean of Clonmacnoise and rector of Trim and Athboy had refused a request from his bishop to resign. The Very Rev Andrew Furlong had stated that he no longer believed Jesus was the son of God.

2012

A poll found that 59 per cent of people who had left Ireland since the recession of 2008 had left by choice. It also found that 72 per cent of all those who had emigrated intended returning to Ireland in the future. “The findings appear to back the contention of minister for finance Michael Noonan that emigration is a lifestyle choice for many who have left the country in recent times,” noted The Irish Times. “The minister was widely criticised for making the comment in January.”