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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While the Starvation was at its height, The Times, of London, had exclaimed: “The Celts are gone–gone with a vengeance. The Lord be praised.” And again: “Now, for the first time these six hundred years, England has Ireland at her mercy, and can deal with her as she pleases.”
The Times of London reflected the view of the majority of the people in England that whatever the cause they were happy with the result.
The Times of London was wrong. The Celts are neither gone, or gone with a vengeance, we are here and we are not going to go away!
Happy 125th birthday to The Glasgow Celts.
philvisreturns
13:57 on
6 November, 2012
Hey canamalar – leave them kids alone. (thumbsup)
Do you know what I was talking about ?
Philvis
Im sure it felt to many like it was genocide watching their weans starve to death in front of them,I wouldnt like to defend the governments position either.
Philvis,
You were ‘teaching you granny to suck eggs ‘ ( It’s an ond Saxon phrase.) in telling me the origins of DECIMATE.
Old Dada Brogan, a member of a famous literary family, was 60 years ahead of you in explaining decimation to me. Sadly, but inevitably, words change their original meanings & my use of the word was completely accurate. ( Thumbs Up.)
Monsieur Phillippe Vis
Rick Steve’s Ireland 2012
USA | UK
Free world delivery
Ireland’s Population in the mid 1800’s
The population of Ireland in 1837 was at a historical high – or at least so the census of 1841 showed four years later. At a time when records were kept regularly but infrequently, such measures can only be approximate.
The 1841 census showed that there were 8,175,124 people living in the four provinces of Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster. Only 40 years later, this figure had fallen by over 3 million to 5,174,836 at the 1881 census, 63% of the former value. This figure continued to fall to a recorded historical low of 4,228,553 by 1926.
The population increased slowly to a figure today of about 5,602,603, this is made up from 3,917,336 in the Republic of Ireland (Census 28 April 2002) and 1,685,267 (Census 29 April 2001) in Northern Ireland.
The Ole Celtic Glee Club Programme – fair slipped under the radar
29 hours…. Ach you’ll be relieved to know I’m chucking this now. @
BMCW,
Disagree with that sentiment, the club is more interested in putting dividends in the pockets of the already comfortable than food on the plates of the starving.
OND is another Saxon word for OLD.
Philvis
On the Gnocchi debate:
Do you come down on the side of them that boil ’em;
Them that fry ’em;
Or the liberals who par-boil then sauté ’em?
And no conferring with the Staff!
Auldheid
I agree that without these guys, they who have the megaphone, we wouldn’t be talking today as we are.
It would be all about the helping hand that the huns are getting from the referees.
Come to think of it, in reality, if the huns had been playing anywhere else, I doubt I would be talking at all, I would have given up on the game.
So, for that I thank them.
I just want them to ask the searching questions, they are now seen as the black sheep, so why not just got the whole hog and show up the corruption for what it really is.
They have all the info at hand, it’s been on the blogs for long enough.
So to Cosgrove, Spiers, Spence, Thompson, English, Gordon, ask the questions, make a name for yourself and your profession, show the world that there is integrity in your homeland, stand up for what is right and proper.
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby – Even the Devil gets an advocate.
Interesting thing re: the great hunger. Like slavery and the Holocaust, people claim to be more angry about it as time goes on. (thumbsup)
canamalar – I rarely do. (thumbsup)
Top 5 Celtic players seen
1) Henrik
2) Jinky
3) Kenny D
4) Danny McGrain
The 5th place would open up too many options for me with players like McStay, McClair, Aitken, Charlie, Macca, Lennox even Viduka, Di Canio and Big Pierre, John Collins amongst others, Paddy Bonnar, Billy McNeil, Bellamy, Keano 1, keano 2, Nakmura, plus just about everyone who ever scored a goal against rangers – the list is endless
but I think I need to nominate 5th place to tamrabam for an amazing huddle on the the pitch after we stopped the 10 in a row and all the legions of Celtic men, jungle bhoys, celtic enders, green brigaders, main standers, walkoners, happy clappers and mine shafters who have followed and sustained this club, sometimes in good times sometimes in bad times.
Favourite Games
(Too young to remember Lisbon)
6-2 vs huns
4-2 10 men won the league
Seville
125 years of truly unbroken History – Glasgow Celtic more than any club
Philvis..,
Tom Watson MP blog
Philvis…
“Interesting thing re: the great hunger. Like slavery and the Holocaust, people claim to be more angry about it as time goes on.”
They are usually the descendants of the victims, no ?
And is that a bad thing ?
Philvis, unlikely but true- English population in 1801 census 8M, as Starry Plough points out the population of Ireland in 1841 was around the same.
It seems churlish to attempt to argue that the events in Ireland arising from the failure of the potato crop were anything other than calamitous, with consequences across all these island sand the wider world.
Paul67 et al
Some may see it as coincidence, serendipity even, for Celtic Football Club to play
FC Barcelona on a day when we will be literally 125 years old. I see it as set in the stars. Divine intervention!
One of the greatest compliments is the effort put in by Barcelona’s players to actually play in tomorrow nights’ game, they do not want to miss it. That to me says it all. You know Paul how much a privelege it is to be part of Celtic, but you know something, it is a privelege for Barcelona too.
You can’t beat the ole Gnocchi Gnocchi Jokes
Celtic Football Club @celticfc
Neil Lennon speaking to press at Celtic Park on injuries for tomorrow’s UCL clash with Barca: “Izaguirre out for six weeks…” (MH)
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“Izaguirre out for six weeks..”
Neil Lennon
FloccignocchiCSC
Neil Canamalar,
An Gorta Mor is not a historical event to me.
My father’s father was born in 1842 & lived through all those hungry years.
I am probably the only person on this site who is in that situation.
bournesouprecipe
Borrocks, whit is it with Celtic and lengthy injuries..
KB
How old are you?
starry
“Rogne two weeks with calf strain. James Forrest will be out for a week or two with. Lassad is out (groin). Samaras we’re hopeful…”
Neil Lennon
Celtic are the greatest football club in the world.
Philvis
I think anger mounts as time goes on because we can see just how futile negative action and in-action in the cases youve mentioned have become,there is thriving populations of Irish and Jews all over the world,the devil may have a right to advocacy bit like his actions,its all in vain.
hail hail
bournesouprecipe
Stop Bourne that’s enough now, Lassad was just starting to show some skillz too…
Izzy’s a real loss I would say..
There are
starry
Sorry but Hooper Gnocch-ed out! as well.
Funny old world ——
I remember my Rangers supporting Higher History teacher citing —
Disraeli’s concern re the overpopulation of Ireland.
Westminster’s concern re the reliance of the English working classes on the good ole spud .
The actions of the Food Removal Regiments .
The amount of food that was removed from Ireland and eaten elsewhere whilst people starved in Ireland .
greenjedi
15:04 on 6 November, 2012
KB
How old are you?
________________________
I’m assuming you mean me.
! was born in 1937.
My father in 1897.
His father 1842,
Strange but true, & I have the census forms from 1901 & 1911 to prove it.
Even more surprisingly, I am away out now for a good walk.
Gnocc, gnocc, gnoccin’ on heavens door.
bournesouprecipe
For real Hooper as well!!!
I need a wee lie down…
We might need to recall Mo Bangura from his loan in view of injury crisis.
The Battered Bunnet – That would be an ecumenical matter. I will gladly eat all gnocchi, and indeed, Italian cooking in general. (thumbsup)
canamalar – And is that a bad thing ?
Remembering is good. Nursing centuries-old grievances is not good.
Tom Watson MP blog
Tom Watson looks like a man who appreciates his gnocchi. (thumbsup)
Kilbowie Kelt – An Gorta Mor is not a historical event to me.
OK…
My father’s father was born in 1842 & lived through all those hungry years.
Either you are the oldest man on the internets, or your father and grandfather exhibited Des O’Connor levels of geriatric virility. (thumbsup)
Dontbrattbakkinanger – It seems churlish to attempt to argue that the events in Ireland arising from the failure of the potato crop were anything other than calamitous, with consequences across all these island sand the wider world.
It would indeed be churlish if anybody was attempting to argue that as you say.
I will defer to the experts on early 19th century Irish population, I am very surprised at those numbers but CQN is a learning experience. (thumbsup)
For those about to eat a first slice of square sausage from up the road in approx 3 years,we salute you.
broonsaucecsc
KK,
Agreed, but I was responding to the fascists sweeping generalisation.