Honouring the Dead
In researching the archive material from the 1920s and 1930s for the purposes of writing these articles in celebration of 100 years of Sligo Chamber, one is struck by the language used at the time and by the formality in which that language is written. This is exemplified in how messages of sympathy for the bereaved are recorded in the Minutes of the Chamber Meetings. So in this week’s article, we learn of people who were important to the Members of Sligo Chamber in the 1920s and 30s including founder members of Sligo Chamber, representatives of the judiciary, clergy and print media and a young lady. We also get some understanding of the language used and of the formalities of the time.
The first recordings of messages of sympathy in respect of colleagues, associates and dignitaries known to Members of Sligo Chamber appear in the Minutes of the Chamber Meeting of the 21st of September 1923, H. Campbell Perry, President, in the Chair, where two such messages are reported. In the first message, the President in opening the business of what is the First Statutory Meeting of the Sligo Chamber of Commerce (Incorporated) after receiving the Articles of Association, referred in feeling terms of the death of the Right Hon. Mr. Justice Powell and proposed the following Resolution which was seconded by H.R. Woodmartin and Resolved:-
“That this General Meeting of the Sligo Chamber of Commerce (Incorporated) desire to express its deep regret at the death of the Right Hon. Mr. Justice Powell, and we tender to his Widow and Relatives our respectfull sympathy in their sad loss.
The Resolution was passed in silence”.
At the same meeting and in the very next item, Mr. F. Nally, Vice-President, referred to the death of Mr. Henry Lyons, J.P. (Justice of the Peace) and it was:-
“Proposed by: F. Nally
Seconded by: Wm. Feeney and Resolved:-
That this First Statutory Meeting of the Sligo Chamber of Commerce (Incorporated) desire to place on record its deep regret at the death of Mr. Henry Lyons, J.P. an old and highly respected Citizen of the Town and we tender to the Members of his Family our sincere sympathy in their sad bereavement.
The Resolution was passed in silence”.
We move on to the Ordinary General Meeting of 21st of December 1925, F. Nally Vice-President, in the Chair. We read of a telephone call from President H. Campbell Perry regretting he was unable to attend. The reason for the President’s absence immediately becomes clear. Before proceeding with the Business of the Meeting, the Vice-President said he regretted it was his duty to propose a vote of sympathy “with their worthy President on the death of his Mother” and he proposed the following Resolution which was Seconded by Mr. H.R. Woodmartin and Resolved:-
“That we the Members of The Sligo Chamber of Commerce (Inc.) desire to tender to our esteemed President, Mr. H. Campbell Perry, our sincere sympathy on the loss he has sustained through the death of his Mother
Passed in silence”.
At the Ordinary General Meeting of the 24th of October 1927, H. Campbell Perry, President, in the Chair, the President referred to the death of Cardinal O’Donnell, Archbishop of Armagh, the pre-eminent member of the Roman Catholic clergy on the Island of Ireland at that time. From Glenties in Donegal, at 31 he was the youngest bishop in the world at the time of his consecration as Bishop of Raphoe in 1888. He oversaw the construction of St. Eunan’s Cathedral, St. Eunan’s College, the Presentation Monastery and Loreto schools, all in Letterkenny. Before proceeding with the business of the Meeting, President Campbell Perry proposed the following resolution which was Seconded by R.S. Gorman:
“That we the Members of The Sligo Chamber of Commerce desire to place on record our deep regret at the death of His Eminence Cardinal O’Donnell. We tender to his Brother Doctor O’Donnell and other Relatives, and to his Lordship Bishop Doorly and the people who he represents in this Diocese our sincere sympathy in their great bereavement,
The Resolution passed in silence – Copies to be sent to Bishop Doorly and
Dr. O’Donnell”.
We move on a year to the Ordinary General Meeting of the Sligo Chamber on the 22nd of October 1928, H. Campbell Perry, President, in the Chair, and to the passing of Mr. William Howley, a colleague and one of the original founding members of Sligo Chamber. Before proceeding with the business of the Meeting, the President said it was with much regret he had to move a Resolution in connection with the loss to this Chamber and the commercial community generally as a result of the death of Mr. William Howley. The following Resolution was then
Proposed by: – H. Campbell Perry
Seconded by:- James J. Nelson and Resolved:-
“That we the Members of The Sligo Chamber of Commerce in general meeting assembled desire to express our deep regret at the death of our Colleague Mr. William Howley. We tender to his bereaved Widow and family and other relatives our sincere sympathy in the great loss they have sustained.
Mr. M. A. Downs associated himself with the vote of sympathy and the Resolution was passed in silence, the members standing.
Copies of the Resolution to be sent to Mrs. Howley and to our Vice-President, Mr. Frank Nally who was a business Partner with the late Mr. Howley”.
The following year at the Extraordinary General Meeting on the 5th of April 1929, H. Campbell Perry, President, in the Chair, we learn of the deaths of two people connected with the Newspapers circulating in Sligo at that time, the Sligo Champion and the Sligo Independent. The first death noted is that of Mr. James A. Flynn, Editor of the Sligo Champion. Before proceeding with the business of the meeting, Mr. F. Nally, Vice President, referred in feeling terms to the recent death of Mr. Flynn who he said was a regular attendee at the meetings of the Chamber and was ever ready to do anything he could for the general good of the prosperity of the Town. The following Resolution was
Proposed by: -F. Nally
Seconded by:- A.H. Henderson and Resolved:-
“That we the members of the Sligo Chamber of Commerce (Inc.) desire to express our sincere regret on the death of Mr. James A. Flynn, Editor of the ‘Sligo Champion’. We tender to his Widow and family our deepest sympathy in their sad bereavement.
Passed in silence”.
The immediately following item relates to a connection of the other Sligo newspaper, the Sligo Independent, where on the proposition, again from F. Nally, and seconded by A. H. Henderson, a similar resolution of sympathy was directed to be sent to Mr. William Peebles, Proprietor of the Sligo Independent “on the great calamity that had befallen him on the death of his wife”.
The President, H.C. Lyons and J. Gilbride associated themselves with both resolutions.
At the very next meeting, an Ordinary General Meeting on the 28th of May, H. Campbell Perry, President, in the Chair, there is more sad news. Before proceeding with the business of the Meeting, the President on rising said “it was with regret he desired to propose a vote of sympathy with our Solicitor, Mr. Alexander M. Lyons, on the death of his daughter (Hilda Lyons), a young lady in the prime of life”. The vote was seconded by Mr. A.C. Cook and passed in silence, the members standing.
The following year at the General Meeting of the 25th of November, 1930, H. Campbell Perry, President, in the Chair, we learn of the death of another founding member of Sligo Chamber. Before beginning the official business of the Meeting, the President said he rose with the deepest regret to move a Resolution in connection with the passing away of Peter Macarthur who was a distinguished merchant of this Town. The following Resolution was:
Moved by: – H. Campbell Perry
Seconded by: – F. Nally and Resolved:-
“That we the Sligo Chamber of Commerce (Inc.) desire to place on record our deep regret at the death of our esteemed Colleague Mr. Peter Macarthur who has been a member of this Chamber since its inauguration and who took a leading part in the business representation of this Town. We tender to his Widow and Son our sincere sympathy on the great loss they have sustained.
Passed in silence”.
All deaths are sad and have a profound impact on the immediate families and loved ones. However, the final death which we report on in this article is perhaps the one of most significance to Sligo Chamber in the 1920s and 30s. It is at an Ordinary General Meeting, F. Nally, Vice-President, in the Chair, that before proceeding with the business of the meeting, the Vice-President said that since our last Meeting, a calamity of the first magnitude had befallen the Chamber through the death of its President, H. Campbell Perry. He referred to the keen interest the late President took in the affairs of the Chamber.
The following Resolution was:-
Proposed by: – Frank Nally
Seconded by: – John Gilbride and Resolved:-
“That we the Sligo Chamber of Commerce desire to place on record the great loss this Chamber and the Town of Sligo has sustained by the death of Mr. H. Campbell Perry.
Mr. Campbell Perry was one of the founders of this Chamber and was elected President at its first meeting held in December 1922 which position he still held at the time of his death. He took an active part in the work of this Chamber and was at all times keenly interested in promoting the trade and commerce of the Town of Sligo.
To his bereaved Widow and Son we tender our sincere sympathy in their irreparable loss”.
The Resolution on the death of Mr. H. Campbell Perry, the First President of Sligo Chamber of Commerce, was passed in silence on the 4th of June, on this week in 1935.
Researched and written by Conor McCarthy
Supported by the Sligo Chamber Centenary Committee:
- Catherine Maguire – Admin & Photographic Research
- Geraldine Courtenay – Creative Direction
- Aidan Doyle – Review & Publication
The next Article in the series commemorating The Centenary of Sligo Chamber and entitled
“Bumps in the Rosses Point Road” will be released on the 6th of June 2023.
#Sligo Chamber Centenary