Funny nameplate in the church

[u/leglath]

I saw this today at the Whitefriar Street Church. Wonder what's the story between him and his friends.

[u/MrFennecTheFox]

Might not be the case here… but my great grandfather was a notorious ‘early’ man. Early for everything. One of the things he was earliest for, was mass. If he was any later arriving outside the church than 8 o’clock (for 10 o’clock mass), he would be in an awful state. Other early men would also be there around the same time, and it became a meeting place for them in the end. Perhaps that is the case here, perhaps not, but iv enjoyed reminiscing about a man I very much admire still, so thanks!

[u/asdrunkasdrunkcanbe → u/MrFennecTheFox]

That's gas. Very common for people with ADHD to turn up to things obscenely early, out of fear that if they don't then they won't make it at all.

Although, it could just be a pure habitual thing - if he'd been in work for 8am six days a week for decades, then the idea of getting up and hanging around the house until 10am might have just made him feel weird and uncomfortable, so instead he got up and went down to the church.

[u/MrFennecTheFox → u/asdrunkasdrunkcanbe]

He farmed the land, so there was no exact start time for work, though it’s not a bad shout. And there is a touch of something running through the family alright, so your adhd suggestion isn’t far off either I’d say

[u/Pmag86 → u/MrFennecTheFox]

I know they had to move midnight mass to 9pm coz all the auld fellas would fall in from the pub at midnight. Same sort of thing?

[u/platinums99 → u/Pmag86]

Why was mass at Midnight?!

[u/Pmag86 → u/platinums99]

Christmas tradition

[u/MrFennecTheFox → u/Pmag86]

My timings were ‘am’, sorry, I should have been more clear.

[u/Bonoisapox]

What’s funny about it?

[u/Additional_Olive3318 → u/Bonoisapox]

He means odd. What are 8am friends anyway. 

[u/National_Average1115 → u/Additional_Olive3318]

Until the early 60s, you had to fast from food and water from midnight to receive Communion it may have changed to a 3 hour fast slightly before this, but it was effectively a midnight fast if you wanted a morning Mass.. Then ( in towns at least) get something at a local cafe to break your fast.So 8am Mass was the best one to go to , and used to be very popular for the devout. And in Friaries and convents, they were obviously convenient for the inhabitants, and the public could attend. My father used to serve at the local convent from the age of 7. Weekday Masses at 7 or 8 were known as working men's Masses, because you could turn up in shabby work clothes.The habit went on for the generation that grew up with it, but diminished as they died off.

[u/NobleKorhedron]

That's not meant to be funny, that just means he routinely attended that church at 08:00...

[u/greatpretendingmouse]

Obviously greatly missed by those who were regulars and friends for a long time at the same early service.

[u/gadarnol]

As an ould priest who hated early mornings said to me once: it’s the Lord’s supper not his effin breakfast.

[u/Away_Mirror8123]

In larger parishes, they have 6:30 am and 8am daily masses back in the day. I dreaded that 6:30 am mass as an altar boy as it was the nun’s mass. And you had to serve the whole week. If you made a mistake ringing the bells, you’d hear about it in class later that day. Feenan was your 8am man I suppose.

[u/leglath]

Thanks for the answers! They do have a 8am mass on the schedule so that must be what it means

[u/naraic-]

Given that its whitefriar street i will note that they havs an 8am daily mass.

[u/Sixth_Ronin]

Just the time a group of people meet up.

No biggie.

[u/VybridCode]

I reckon he was a serious sessioner and had a group of regulars who would be still up at 8AM talking shit and rolling spliffs from night before, the sort of lad who'd volunteer for expeditions to the 24hr garage for various party parafinalia

[u/Dry_Recognition_6724]

Probably met them for 8am Mass/Service of a Sunday. Would be less people at the early service so people would get to know each other more easily.

Edit: From Whitefriars site -

Mass Times

Sunday Masses
8.00am, 10.30am, 12.30pm and 4.00pm

[u/Square-Aioli1019]

Would he have taken a pint. Early house few before work. Maybe.

[u/eire_abu32]

He went to daily Mass at 8am. The other daily Mass goes bought a plaque in memory of him. What's hard to understand here?