New City of the Sacred Heart

"You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'"

Back to Methuselah (1921) part 1, Act 1 by George Bernard Shaw

One day in the 1970s on the Dublin to Westport train, I found myself seated beside a Columban priest. In the course of our conversation he claimed to have done something that I had never done. "What's that?" I asked. " Last week I attended the opening of a town". He had just flown home from his mission in Japan where a town of about 40,000 had begun to function with an official opening ceremony. I had to concede that I certainly had never had such an experience. Until recently I never thought that I, or indeed, any body else in Ireland, would. Since meeting William A. Thomas and John Cully I am not so sure.

William A. Thomas argues the case for a new city in Ireland. I first learned of his ideas in June, 2000 during the Novena to the Sacred Heart at St Ignatius' Church, Galway, when he told me that he wished to see a City of the Sacred Heart in the Knock area of Co Mayo. It would be the third "miracle" there. The first was the vision in the 19th century and the second, the construction there in the 20th of an international airport with the capacity to handle the biggest aircraft in existence. The third will be the building in the 21st of the City of the Sacred Heart. If it can happen in Japan why not here?

Our small offshore European island is currently producing world leaders in fields as diverse as pop music and horse racing, computer software and golf, air-travel and poetry. The evidence of a creative spark is undeniable. In recent years the tale in the daily press in Ireland has been of booming industry, record sales, increased profits, expanding markets, ambitious new projects, give-away budgets etc. In spite of the events of 11 September, 2001 the pundits say that the indicators for continued growth are still there. The change to the euro may well enhance the prospects.

There is, however, a downside to all this growth; outlandish house prices and rents, inadequate amenities for a growing population, interminable traffic jams and mountains of uncycled waste. At a more basic level, even more disturbing, is the mounting level of serious crime and sexual license, the increasing abuse of drink and drugs but most distressing of all, the alarming rise in the incidence of suicide, especially among young men.

We must turn our compassionate attention to these realities. William Thomas traces much dysfunctional behaviour to inhuman surroundings, especially in cities and argues for a completely fresh start. He believes that a whole new city will prove cheap in the long run. He floated his idea on the Internet and was amazed at the positive response, especially abroad. We present an outline of his argument (page 8). John Cully, a Dublin-based architect offered to draw up an over all plan for the new city. He presents it in very condensed form (page 11).

Our Association started with an idea based in devotion to the Sacred Heart. Against all the odds it is still going and growing over a hundred years later. To ensure our future we need the spirit of the pioneer, not the settler. It is in this spirit that we give a sporting chance to people who dare to be different. In giving coverage to their novel idea, first conceived in honour of the Sacred Heart, we are very much in the pioneering spirit of our Association.

Bernard J. McGuckian S.J.