Adam Smith, regarded by many as the father of modern economics, once observed that crop failures caused dearth but that it took “the violence of well-intentioned governments” to convert “dearth into famine.” Throughout the 19th century, governments, social-reformers and subsistence –dwellers learned the enormous human cost that resulted when the poor were left to starve.
Ireland suffered regular famine for more than a century before when what became known as THE Irish Famine first struck the country in 1845. The potato blight travelled across Europe before arriving in Britain and then Ireland, but in most places the links between those who were suffering and those who were in a position to alleviate that suffering were sufficiently established to ensure dearth did not become cataclysmic famine. Not so in Ireland.
The famine lasted until the 1850s, a million starved to death. Nothing would ever be the same again. The blight returned in 1879 but by then the Celtic population of Ireland, who suffered disproportionately in earlier famines, were politically better represented and had structures in place to ensure those in need were assisted. As a result, the 1879 blight caused great hunger but cost fewer lives.
Brother Walfrid lived through the famine of the 1840s. The community who 125 years ago today decided to form a football and athletic club in order to feed the starving either lived through the same hardship, or were the progeny of those who did. All were informed by the actions across the water in 1879. Squalor, disease and starvation afflicted Glasgow, as it did many of the newly industrialised cities of the world. Walfrid and his colleagues were not going to stand idly by and hope for the best.
Celtic Football Club was not the only institution established in those years to cater for the poor. Across Britain others campaigned for clean water, sanitation, better working conditions and occasionally health care, but Celtic were quite unlike any others.
Football had caught the public imagination and benefited from the increased availability of leisure time in the early 20th century. Brother Walfrid could just as easily established a musical troupe to raise funds. If so, there would be no Celtic. Those who met in St Mary’s hall had seen how successful other football clubs were becoming and decided to copy their ways. They watched how successful Hibernian, from Leith, had become and decided Glasgow’s east end would be equally fertile ground.
Hundreds of other football clubs were formed in the 19th century but no others had the unique story of Celtic. If you listen to modern brand consultants you will hear them talk about establishing a legend for your brand. Adorn it with positive, aspirational sentiment that people want to be a part of. Whenever I hear this kind of talk, or watch a business try to position itself along these lines, I think of how getting the foundations right on day one set our club out on this enormous journey.
No one was trying to establish a brand in 1887, in fact, those in charge of the club seemed immune to the concept for over a century, but all of the positive sentiment which is persistently associated with Celtic can be traced back to that meeting at St Mary’s, even down to what might have seemed like small detail. Unlike Hibernian, Celtic would not be a club for members of a church or parish, this would be a club who wanted all members of society to work with, support and play for. From conception, the message of social responsibility was evangelised.
The world is enormously different today than it was back then, and our community reflects those changes, but anyone who counts himself a Celtic fan is a product of the club’s history. You are here for a reason.
Tomorrow night’s opponents proclaim they are ‘more than just a football club’. In their case that is correct, but this is a truism for most football fans. Few will say, ‘Although I turn up every week, there’s nothing special about this place’. Those who understand how much more Celtic are than just a club, know that it is no longer the responsibility of Brother Walfrid, now it is yours and mine. We have the enormous responsibility to take care of that 125-year heritage and, if possible, enhance it. That’s the challenge every time you get your ticket out your pocket, you scribble on a blog, or you’re asked to assist someone in need.
What an enormous privilege.
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Our defence, after the recent spate of comedy defending when it comes to balls into our box, is once more our greatest cause for concern. I’m glad Emilio’s out, as he hadn’t looked confident, and his performances for us at home in Europe have been mediocre. However, I’d worry even more if we played Mulgrew at LB, rather than the more industrious Ledley.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Forster ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lustig :::::::::::::: Wanyama ::::::::::::: Mulgrew :::::::::::::: Ledley
Brown :::::::::::::: Ambrose ::::::::::::::::: Kayal :::::::::::: Samaras
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Watt ::::::::::::::::::::: Miku :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
…They really don’t like it up ’em………….
Up ’em!
HHH.
Anthing from tonight’s game will be a huge bonus, our two important games are Benfica [a] and Spartak [h] if we’re going to finish in the top 3.
Big Fraser is goin’ to need to have his sticky gloves on.
In just 7h 45m it will be 7.45….
symmetryandworldorderCSC
new article posted.
……………….Forster
Lustig Ambrose Wilson Mulgrew
Commons Kayal Wanyama Ledley
…………………….Miku
…………………………….. Watt
OT question.
Does anyone know if Norn Irn Sterling is accepted in Scotland?
Barca team bus at the Raddison
Thanks to ‘shady’ I have my ticket for tonight! A big thanks to him.
Been to BB’s for the obligatory haggis, neeps and tattie with my young brother.
Checked out the fanzone in Merchant Sq.
Plenty oif Barça fans mooching around town.
Not long now.
HH!
Kilbowie Kelt 14.03 Late reply 7 hour time difference.
Rarely if ever agree agree with Philvis on politics but history ok.
Read a book recently The Potato/Larry Zuckerman plus general historical knowledge.
Agree on grain exports (even taught this at English school) and the general callousness of the British government to all its peoples apart from the favoured elite.
Seems that the problem had been growing with the population and equally decreasing plots of land. A large number of better off Irish took advantage of these land laws.
The first year of blight was followed by 2 more years of wet summers and long hard winters throughout Europe.Disease followed famine as usual much more death.Holland lost 60000 people, Scotland 9000 (before charitable help arrived-far less got to Ireland with more people to help).
The Highland Clearances ( not as my children where taught at school in Sutherland). Yes instigated by Stafford the Duke “on the hill” and carried out by his factor ,English! Taken up by various Laird of the Glens who saw more profit in taking care of sheep than their own clanspeople. I could expand.
England- The Enclosures/Hedgerows Acts (seemingly unknown of) many,many people evicted and beaten off their smallholdings (if you couldn’t afford to fence you surely couldn’t pay the fine). If not absorbed into industry, same as …emigrate!
It should be a well known fact that at the height of the British empire/industrial revolution the English poor lived in abject poverty just like their kind in Wales,Scotland and Ireland. Life expectancy was so low in the cities. The British Army lowered the physical standard 3 times for entry prior to the Boer War..
Sweden- population halved (all those vikings in midwest states) No English to blame!!!
This was a European time and was the rich getting rid off the excess poor to the underpopulated parts of the world. As throughout history greed was to blame not not just the English. A change in attitudes is long overdue IMHO.
I have reposted this because of time difference and I have since read on from Kilbowie Kelt somewhat.
It is not my intent to whitewash what the British (English)rulers have been guilty of,far from it,there has been much! But given the time and circumstances most European countries and many others would have behaved much the same. Some worse,maybe Spain and Portugal in the Americas?It’s been written that Spains conquest of the Canaries set their behaviour, likewise England in Ireland.
The British Empire-the Scots were willing participants at most levels and very successful.
The past is not to be forgotten but to be learnt from,so as not to be repeated (theoretically) but not to pass on the blame, guilt and hatred to future generations.
My father and his best pal came over on the boat together,stepfather of unknown parentage and 5 years P.O.W never carried this baggage and I know in which country he was treated better. So proud of them!!