Mary from Mayo writes to the 'Gay Byrne Show' about life with an alcoholic husband. She appeals to his listeners for help.
The long-running 'Gay Byrne Show' on RTÉ Radio 1 was often used as a forum by housewives, who confided their problems in letters to the host, Gay Byrne.
In this clip from 1986, Gay reads out a letter from Mary from Mayo, which he says "could have come from a great number of people around the country". Mary's husband is an alcoholic and "widowhood would be an escape from the hell in which my children and I live". Because she lives in a small town in the west of Ireland, she feels there is no one she can turn to for help but Gay Byrne and the listeners of his show.
Gay responds with advice he has received from Al-Anon, an organisation that supports the families of alcoholics. He says that "there is no point at all in covering up for her alcoholic husband" and that people in her town probably already know about him. He encourages her to go to Al-Anon, who have meetings all over the country, including Mayo, so she doesn't need to come to Dublin.
Title: |
Letter from Mary |
Clip Duration: |
00:04:52 |
Material Type: |
Audio |
Clip Title: |
"The Hell In Which My Children and I Live" |
Series Title: |
Gay Byrne Show |
Information: |
The 'Gay Byrne Show' began on radio as the 'Gay Byrne Hour' on 2 February 1973. In a rapidly changing Ireland, the programme became the public forum for many topics and debates of the day and was especially popular with housewives. In 1979 the programme was given extended air time and changed name to become the 'Gay Byrne Show'. Broadcasting for two hours a day Monday to Friday, the 'Gay Byrne Show' stayed on air until Byrne's retirement in 1998. The letter here was read out on 30 October 1986. The photograph accompanying this clip shows Gay Byrne in a RTÉ Radio studio in 1981. The photographer was John Rowe. © RTÉ Stills Library 2043/010 |
Local Keywords: |
Alcoholism, Al-Anon, Housewives, Families of Alcoholics |
Coverage: |
Ireland |
Topic: |
Society and Social Issues |
Contributor(s): |
Gay Byrne (Presenter) |
Publisher: |
RTÉ |
First Broadcast Channel: |
RTÉ Radio One |
Broadcast Date: |
30/10/1986 |
Production Year: |
1986 |
Country of Production: |
Ireland |
Original Identifier: |
LQC0008A |
IPR Restrictions: |
Rights Reserved - Free Access |
Rights, Terms and Conditions: |
Copyright RTÉ. This material may not be replicated in any form or manner without the prior express permission of RTÉ. Any form of reproduction in print, television, video, multimedia, web site or other electronic media or any form of dissemination for commercial or non-commercial use must be licensed by the RTÉ Archives.
If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us. RTÉ Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us. |
Item Type: |
part/extract |
Sound: |
Mono |
Language: |
English (eng) |
Original Language: |
English (eng) |
