Activist’s campaigns keep her young

Press, 11 January 1978, Page 4

Activist’s campaigns keep her young

By

FELICITY PRICE

Campaigning against social and political injustices and supporting herself by freelance journalism on natural historv and on political issues in her native Ireland have kept Heather Boyle much younger than her 80 years.

Mrs Boyle, who is a greatgrandmother five times over, i is visiting Christchurch for the christening of her latest great-granddaughter. She has lived in many countries — Jamaica, Malta, and India to name but a few — and has travelled extensively in Europe. But. she says, she has no private income, arid so she earns all: the money to support herself.! and to pa’’ for anv trips she might take, by writing. The present trip to New Zealand is the only exception. “1 came here on a legacy from an aunt who died re-

icently at 101, and I am blow-; iing it all on the one trip.”! 'she said. Mrs Bovle writes about al-! most anything. Her great pas-| sion is flora and fauna, and! much of her income is from ;reviews of natural historv! I books and from articles about the trees and flowers in southern Ireland and the countries she visits. j While in New Zealand, she! i says, she wants to see a kiwi[ land a tuatara. She also looks! ! forward to trips to Akaroa, ; Mount Cook, and Oueenstown to see trees, flowers. land birds. ; Much of her writing is published in quality Irish maga- ! zines and newspapers. and her reviews feature frequently ■in “Hibernia” (which she calls the Irish “New Statesman”). ; Her articles on the politics. !religion, and social injustices she sees in Ireland, however.: are her main vent for strong

feelings about the Church, the Government, and the British. In the south, she savs. the country is run by Roman; Catholics, and in the north; it is run by Protestants. I “We are the most bigoted.

people in the world,” she says. “The Church and State should be separate in Ireland, but they are not. The; Church too autocratic — it rules our lives. “I am a Roman Catholic.) but I am not a very good: one. I do tend to squabble! with the Church,” Mrs Bovle’ savs. “I think the Catholics in! Ireland are too puritan on) the whole — thev are not’

[charismatic enough. The, priests harp on the wrath of God rather than the love of! [God, and I am more inter-' iested in His love.” : Mrs Boyle also believes .that "God is God. no matter!

whether He is called God. or Allah, or Jehovah.” Mrs Boyle sees the end to the Irish political struggle as possible only when the British withdraw their troops and their money from the north. | Then thebe would not b e any money, and iso the Irish would have to [fend for themselves. “They [would be so busy making a [living they would not have (time to fight each other, and

the Church would not be so; ! all-important.” It probably will not happ"ji [in her lifetime, she says, but “it will happen — it must happen.” The Irish have no love, she says. Thev are too apathetic about everything. Mrs Boyle herself is deeply committed to cause after [cause. She is a member of the Council Against Blood Sports and often pickets against hare coursing. “We are the only E.E.C. country — probably the only country in the world — that goes in for hare coursing ... It is a barbaric sport.” Mrs Boyle is also a member of Anti-Apartheid and of the Irish Family Planning [Organisation. Mrs Boyle also formed her own housing committee in the Republic of Ireland, to help provide homes

[for those who cannot afford them. She runs the committee by herself now, she says, because it became infiltrated by militant Sinn Feiners. Determined not to be taken over by the intruders. Mrs Boyle, who was then treasurer of the committee, carried out a coup on her own. “1 took all the money out of the committee’s bank account and put it in another bank without telling them. That soon got rid of them,” she says, with an air of satisfied finality. At home in Ireland, says Mrs Boyle, she has a rebel’s reputation. She also admits to being a pacifist. “I don’t know the meaning of the word ‘bored’,” Mrs Boyle says. “I have not had the time to find out what it is.”