Even the pagan politicians stand for prayer

Bradley Bytes – A Sort of Political Column by Dara Bradley

Most city councillors are Catholic. It stands to reason because most people in Ireland are Catholic.

Fianna Fáil City Councillor Mike Crowe, for example, there’s no mistaking he’s a Mass-goer.

We know this because he’s issued press releases and publicly talked about church gate collections and City Council parking policies which he claims are anti-Catholic and anti-GAA.

Others are Catholic and it might not be as obvious. Some councillors like visiting the Poor Clare nuns at Nuns’ Island every now and then. Some wear Scapulars or religious jewellery or medals. 

For some elected members you wouldn’t know what they are.

Muslims, protestants, pagans, we don’t know. We don’t ask. It’s none of our business. Except, maybe, it is.

Because what we do know is, regardless of their religion, City Councillors (as well as management officials, press members and the public in the gallery of the Council chamber) stand, solemnly, to hear the following prayer read out at the start of every City Council meeting at City Hall:

“Iarraimid Ort,

A Thiarna,

d’anál naomhtha do chur fúinn chun sinn,

do stiúradh in ár ngníomhartha,

agus neart do ghrásta do bhronnadh orainn

chun iad a thabhairt chun críche,

ionnus gur Uait-se

thosnófar ár n-uile bhriathair

agus ár n-uile ghríomh feasta,

agus gur Thrít a chríochnófar iad:

tré Chríost ár dTiarna.”

We’ve taken the liberty of (roughly) translating it for the West Brits among you:

“We ask you o Lord

to bestow upon us your blessed breath

to direct us in our actions

and (to bestow upon us) the strength of your grace

to bring those actions to fruition

so that from you

our words and all of our actions will come

and they will be done through you (with your help)

through Christ our Lord”.

All this while, we thought Councillors made decisions based on how many votes it would garner them. But no, according to the prayer, their decisions are guided by our Lord . . . And thank God (or Allah or Buddha or whoever) for that!

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.