Frank Duff and the Pioneers
ENDA DUNLEAVY Taken from Maria Legionis, June, 1993
The Pioneer Total Abstinence Association of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (the Pioneers; for short) was founded by Fr. James Cullen of the Society of Jesus in 1898, mainly to counter the dreadful abuse of alcoholic drink in Ireland. Appalling poverty was widespread, made worse by a series of famines in the latter part of the 18th century and culminating in the event referred to as the Great Famine during the years 1845 to 1847. Over one million people died of starvation and more than that number emigrated within a year or two. Ireland was devastated. Unfortunately many, especially of the poor, sought refuge in drink.
Fr. Cullen had witnessed the awful drinking habits of the men who plied their boats on the busy waterway provided by the River Barrow on the banks of which his native town, New Ross, was situated. A number of temperance societies had failed and Fr. Cullen very wisely associated his temperance movement with reparation to the Sacred Heart, a devotion widely promoted by the Jesuit Order since the time of St. Claude La Colombiere (canonized by Pope John Paul II in May 1992). Great numbers, especially of the youth, joined the new association.
The "Heroic Offering" recited by all members morning and evening helps towards an understanding of membership:
"For Thy greater glory and consolation, 0 Sacred Heart of Jesus, for Thy sake to give good example, to practice self denial, to make reparation to Thee for the sins of intemperance and for the conversion of excessive drinkers I will abstain for life from all intoxicating drink."
The Central Director of the Pioneer Association is always a member of the Jesuit Order in Dublin. Ed.
Frank Duff joined the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association of the Sacred Heart as a probationer on 27 October 1916. He had been accustomed to take a drink up to some time before that. When Frank's father fell into ill-health Frank used to bring his mother and sometimes a sister as well on holidays to London, Ostend or Paris. On one such holiday in Paris, they had a meal before going to visit the Louvre. In those days, a bottle of wine was put on the table at no extra cost. Frank appreciated this so much that he took a little too much. The result was that when they got to the Louvre, he had to lie down on a bench. His mother saw the wonders of the Louvre but he missed them.
Many things began to change in his life when he joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in October 1913. He changed from being a casual Catholic to a deeply committed one. But, rising civil servant that he was, he was shy about his new interest in the things of God. If his Rosary beads fell from his pocket on a tram or some other obvious place, he would be highly embarrassed.
Then he came to reflect over the words "He who will not confess Me before men, I will not confess him before My Father in heaven". He knew that Pioneers had to wear their badge at all times and, as men in good positions eschewed badges as 'infra dig', he knew that the wearing of the Pioneer badge bearing the image of the Sacred Heart, would be for him, a constant mortification. So he decided to join and
compel himself in this way to profess his faith openly.
At the time of applying, he said that he had not taken any beer for a few years and no bitter cider for seven months. Nonetheless, he was told that he would have to serve a probation of eighteen months. He walked out in great indignation. On reflection, he realised that he had overreacted and, as he said himself, he "crawled back". In due course, he completed his probation and was given his certificate as a full member on 27 October 1918. As a mark or respect for the symbol of Our Lord's merciful love, he decided to improve on the normal badge supplied to Pioneers. He commissioned a jeweller to make a Pioneer badge for him. The result was a miniature work of art in gold and enamel which can be seen in the showcase in Frank's house on Morning Star Avenue, Dublin. Even the tiny droplets of blood which fall from the wounded heart are found to be perfectly formed when closely examined. However, another shock awaited him for, when the Director of the Pioneer movement then, heard about it, he ordered him to wear the ordinary badge. This further annoyance caused him to consider withdrawing altogether but his spiritual adviser, Fr. Michael Browne S.J., took the view that he was perfectly entitled to wear the badge, which he had got made - which he did forthwith.
This simple act of joining the Pioneers was to have important consequences. No. 100 Francis Street (Myra House) had been a bacon factory. When the factory moved, Mrs. Keogh-Donnelly gave the house over to altruistic use. It sheltered the Iveagh Play Centre and was used on Sundays for giving free breakfasts to poor children. Then the Iveagh Play Centre got its own place and Mrs. Keogh-Donnelly gave the premises to Frank Sweeney for whom she had a great regard and who had come as President to the Conference of St. Nicholas of Myra, the branch of the St. Vincent de Paul Society operating in Francis Street parish. Frank Duff was already working in this Conference and he was asked to oversee the activities of the
Ladies' Committee. When he investigated the free breakfasts, he found that the children attending were not in need and the work was discontinued. In May 1917, he founded a Pioneer Centre in Myra House. Joe Gabbett, his shoemaker friend, was installed as first President. Also on to the Council came Tommy Fitzsimons, William Garvin and Matt Murray who had a large share in Frank's undertakings in those early days and whom he never forgot. At first, the Council and the recruits enrolled were all men. But Frank was concerned to find outlets for the women whose work of providing the free breakfasts had come to an end. And so, at the Council meeting of 9 September 1918, it was decided to accept applications from women and girls and on 7 October 1918, Mrs. Elizabeth Kirwan of 8A Dean Swift Square, was co-opted on to the Council. On 4 January 1920, Alice Keogh was co-opted. Mrs. Kirwan was to become the first President of the Legion of Mary and Alice Keogh was to prepare the altar of Mary Immaculate which graced the first meeting. When Mrs. Kirwan died, the whole Corporation of Dublin turned out in their robes of office for her requiem led by Lord Mayor Alfie Byrne in his mayoral red. Alice Keogh died many years later as a nun in Canada at the exact anniversary moment of her setting up of that little altar.
Enrolment of Pioneers went on at a great rate in those years, anything between 10 and 35 applications being dealt with at a Council meeting. An article in the "Irish Catholic" of June 1920 tells that there were 203 Pioneers on roll at that date and that the impact on the "immense working population" of "that great labour district" was noteworthy in the money diverted from drink to children's clothes and household needs.
The minutes of the Council meetings from May 1917 to November 1921 are preserved in the archives of the Legion of Mary and make interesting reading. One thing has to be remembered when reading them and that is that this record deals with Pioneer business only whereas the meeting began progressively to deal with other activities scarcely referred to. Frank came to the conclusion that receiving and considering applications was not a sufficient use of the members' zeal. Under the gentle pressure of Tom Fallon, a prominent VdeP member and President of the Central Working Council of the Pioneers, Frank had become interested in the True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin taught by Blessed Louis Grignion de Montfort. From January 1920 onwards, the monthly meetings were transferred to Sunday afternoons and the Rosary was said for the success of the work followed by spiritual reading. The men on the Council had formed the Guild of Saint Camillus to visit the neglected wards in the Union Hospital including the much-avoided women's cancer ward and the reports furnished by the male members began to make the ladies anxious to emulate them. At the time however, the Ladies' Assocation of Charity was the only recognised way for women to do works of charity and the branches used to meet during the morning and were confined to ladies in the higher echelons of society. The inevitable sequel we now know was the formation of the Legion of Mary. Fr. Michael Toher CC became Spiritual Director of the Council in October 1920. He was thus providentially placed to become the first Spiritual Director of the Legion of Mary on the evening of 7th September 1921. Frank Duff and the others would undoubtedly have continued their association with the Council for about five years more until the Parish Priest, noting that the Legion still had not got the Archbishop's approval, asked them to cease activities in the parish. They had to move to Thomas Street where Labour Leader, Big Jim Larkin, accommodated them in Unity Hall. The Council was decimated but survived and has continued to the present day with just one hiatus when its records and materials were lost during a renovation of Myra House. Two long-standing Council members died during this year, May Nugent and Peter Tierney. Two others are happily with us - John Goulding and Lily O'Brien. In the early days, the VdeP provided the solid support which got the Pioneers established in Francis Street, to-day it is the Legion of Mary which helps to keep the flag flying. Before her death, May Nugent handed over to the Legion the original banner of the branch. From the banner, and also from the records, we see that the branch is under the patronage of St. Patrick. V. Rev. Fr. Desmond O'Beirne PP is the present Spiritual Director.
Frank Duff remained a faithful Pioneer and always wore the pin. His life was devoted in large measure to helping victims of alcohol. Joe Gabbett and Ulick McNally had taught him what it was to be an apostle and he tried to discharge his debt to them by helping them overcome their drink problem - not too successfully in the case of McNally. He went on to found the Morning Star and Regina Coeli Hostels for men and women
respectively which cater for this problem to this day. He said himself that being a Pioneer had saved him from seeking solace in drink in some of the awful periods of depression that he had to go through. In 1964, he suffered a stroke while giving a lecture to Social Science students in University College, Dublin. Brought home in a semi-comatose condition, someone suggested a drop of brandy to revive him. "You have no permission to give me that" uttered the apparently senseless sufferer, words that he himself did not recall when he recovered. During one of those famous cycling holidays which he took with the group known as the Sprockets, one member, Doris Hansard, felt faint one day. He went to great trouble to get a drop of brandy to revive her. Just before it was administered, he discovered she was a Pioneer. He was very angry with her for allowing Tom Smith to be sent several miles for the stimulant. Her answer - that she thought it would be alright once it was he who gave it to her - only annoyed him still more.
He was always asking the Legion to promote the Pioneers as he felt that drink was at the root of most problems. He believed that the Pioneers was the most effective of the temperance movements because it sought the membership of those who had never embarked on drinking and helped them to make it a lifelong commitment while still catering for those who were making a conscious decision to give up drink. And it brought in the powerful motive of reparation to the Sacred Heart for sins committed in drink. He was particularly pleased when, following negotiations conducted for the Legion by John Gavin in 1973/4, Fr. Daniel Dargan S.J., the Director, granted permission for Legion praesidia to be constituted Pioneer Councils. Even if all the members or even the President were not a Pioneer, as long as there was a nucleus of active Pioneers there, they could be recognized as a Council. The last act of Frank's life was to attend the funeral of Joan Cronin, Legion envoy who had served in Africa, South America, the Middle East and Asia. She had devoted her last years to promoting the Pioneers.
Although Frank died 12 years ago, he is surely with us in spirit as we come to mark the 75th anniversary of the Pioneer Centre that he founded. We are grateful to Fr. Bernard McGuckian, Central Director of the Pioneers and the Central Council for urging us to mark this occasion in a fitting way and to Very Rev. Desmond Q'Beirne PP for arranging the special Mass in St. Nicholas of Myra Parish Church to mark the occasion.
ENDA DUNLEAVY,
Taken from Maria Legionis, June, 1993