Sir, - Myles Crowe (July 26th) asserts that before the Famine the Mass attendance rate in Ireland was at only about 30 per cent, and infers that this proves the Irish were really practising some mysterious pagan religion.
If one accepts this, then there are questions that need to be answered. The period 1800-1850 was an era of intense proselytisation, with enormous resources put into trying to bring the Irish over to the Protestant camp. Quite apart from a plethora of private efforts, the Government spent over £1m on building Anglican churches in remote areas: the ruins of them dot the landscape to this day. Why did all this effort yield so little reward?
I suggest that low levels of Mass attendance before the Famine do not reflect a lack of faith at all, but rather a lack of clothes. Many visitors to Ireland at the time commented on the tattered and inadequate attire of the native population. People might have been ashamed to enter the "chapel" in scarecrow attire; they could always attend the "Stations" Masses held in private houses. - Yours, etc..
Boithrin Fada,
Gaillimh.