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Pat Smyth, a civil servant with the National Assistance Board in West Tyrone from the 1930's to the 1950's, recalls his memories, experiences and the larger than life personalities he encountered on the way.
When five-shilling means-tested old age pensions at seventy were first introduced early in the present century, some old men were highly suspicious of the motives of the State. One Mullaslin 'sage' called Sloan was said to have put it about that anyone who accepted the bounty would be called up if there were another war!
He was a veteran of the Boer War and evidently, believed that even being over seventy would not save a man from conscription!
In 1912, an old man called McCrory from County Down who had been summoned for drunkenness and disorderly conduct wrote to the Petty Sessions Clerk at Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone:
"I am sorry to say that I have not got over all my trouble that I had in Omagh during my July holidays. I got a summons to appear tomorrow for the old fault (i.e. drink) on the 15th ult. I enclose pledge, also my baptismal certificate. I do not want any stain or mark against my character that would deprive me of the old age pension.
I am now in the sere and yellow leaf. I will have reached the allotted span - three score and ten - if spared to December. It's not too soon, nor I hope too late, for me to turn over a new leaf, to give up all folly and lead an exemplary life. I am heartily ashamed of myself.
The pledge I have taken with the assistance of God, I will keep to the letter and, sir, as one last favour, I implore you to ask the magistrates to give me this last chance. I will feel under a deep debt of gratitude to both you and them. Wishing you health, prosperity, and happiness, and every other blessing that Heaven can bestow.
Your obedient servant, Dan McCrory"
The case was adjourned for a month. Reputedly, Dan was an ex-seminarian who had 'succumbed', in his own words 'to the demon drink', in Tyrone terms, 'a spoiled priest'.
Pat Smyth, 2001
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