Mayo, a county with a strong social conscience

by Auld Stock

ALL Souls Night in Ireland came and went almost unnoticed.

It wasn’t that way in an Ireland which has discarded many of its old customs. It’s an old saying, everything changes with the passage of time.

After years of stagnation, the people of Ireland have accepted change with open arms and open minds.

Our country is a much better place for the changes which have taken place in the past fifty years or so. I say this as someone whose lifespan covers several decades.

There were many good things about our lifestyle in Ireland in former years. However, we now live in a more open society where people can express their views on a wide variety of topics.

In the past young people were told they could be seen but not heard. That day has long gone, and no harm.

Education has opened the minds of young people and has given them a broader outlook on life.

Many years ago families lit a candle on All Souls Night to remember deceased family members.

In north Mayo families placed a saucer of holy water in the centre of a table with a candle on one side and a pinch of salt on the opposite side.

People who carried out those customs had a deep faith which was handed down through the generations.

Nowadays people express their faith in a different fashion.

Here in Mayo we have several voluntary organisations which help people with special needs and many other disabilities.

Despite all the changes in modern living, the people of our country have a very strong social conscience.

This, I believe, is a true test of their Christianity. We live in a great country with great people.

Thank God for that.