The Pioneer Total Abstinence Association of the Sacred Heart (PTAA) is an international organisation for
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
teetotaler
Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal abstinence from the psychoactive drug alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or i ...
s that is based in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. Its members are commonly called Pioneers. While the PTAA does not advocate
prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
, it does require of its members complete abstinence from alcoholic drink. It also encourages devotion to the
Sacred Heart
The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devo ...
of
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
as an aid to resisting the
temptation
Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...
of alcohol. Pioneers wear a
lapel pin
A lapel pin, also known as an enamel pin, is a small pin worn on clothing, often on the lapel of a jacket, attached to a bag, or displayed on a piece of fabric. Lapel pins can be ornamental or can indicate the wearer's affiliation with an organiza ...
called a ''Pioneer pin'' with an image of the Sacred Heart, both to advertise the organisation and to alert others not to offer them alcohol. The association publishes a monthly magazine, ''The Pioneer''.
History
The PTAA was founded in 1898 by
James Cullen, in response to widespread
alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...
among Irish Catholics as the earlier
temperance movement
The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...
of
Father Mathew
Theobald Mathew (10 October 1790 – 8 December 1856) was an Irish Catholic priest and teetotalist reformer, popularly known as Father Mathew. He was born at Thomastown, near Golden, County Tipperary, on 10 October 1790, to James Mathew and his ...
was fading from memory. In the 20th Century, the term ''Pioneer'' became synonymous with teetotalism among Irish Catholics, and the PTAA influenced public policy. In 1923,
Eoin O'Duffy
Eoin O'Duffy (born Owen Duffy; 28 January 1890 – 30 November 1944) was an Irish military commander, police commissioner and politician. O'Duffy was the leader of the Monaghan Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and a prominent figure in ...
as Commissioner of the
Garda Síochána
(; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards", is the national police service of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Gover ...
(Civic Guard) encouraged members to join the PTAA, and allowed Gardaí to wear the Pioneer pin on their uniforms, in exemption to a general ban on symbols and adornments. The
Irish Defence Forces also allow its personnel to wear the Pioneer pin on their uniforms, one of only two civilian symbols allowed to be worn in uniform, the other being the
Fáinne
(; pl. ''Fáinní'' but often ''Fáinnes'' in English) is the name of a pin badge worn to show fluency in, or a willingness to speak, the Irish language.
The three modern versions of the pin as relaunched in 2014 by Conradh na Gaeilge are the ...
. By 1948, the PTAA claimed 360,000 members. In 1956, a
Commission of Enquiry into the
licensing laws
The alcohol licensing laws of the United Kingdom regulate the sale and consumption of alcohol, with separate legislation for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland being passed, as necessary, by the UK parliament, the Senedd in Wales, the ...
in the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
was appointed by the
Minister for Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Just ...
,
James Everett
James Everett (14 February 1890 – 18 December 1967) was an Irish Labour Party politician who served as Minister for Justice from 1954 to 1957, Minister for Posts and Telegraphs from 1948 to 1951 and Leader of the National Labour Party from ...
; the PTAA nominated one of the 22 members, John K. Clear. Clear assented to the majority report of the Commission, which favoured easing the (widely disregarded) restrictions on opening hours of
public house
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
s introduced in 1925, although the Catholic hierarchy subsequently opposed the resulting
Act.
Activity
Roman Catholic children in Ireland who make their
Confirmation
In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...
(typically at the age of 11–12) are encouraged to promise, or "take the pledge", not to drink alcohol until they are at least 18 (the
legal drinking age
The legal drinking age is the minimum age at which a person can legally consume alcoholic beverages. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different from the age when it can be purchased in some countries. These laws vary between ...
in Ireland). The PTAA is active in this drive, and encourages teenagers, particularly in
religious-run secondary schools, to join the PTAA and "keep the pledge". In spite of these efforts,
underage drinking
The legal drinking age is the minimum age at which a person can legally consume alcoholic beverages. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different from the age when it can be purchased in some countries. These laws vary between ...
is widespread in Ireland. In train with the growing
secularisation
In sociology, secularization (or secularisation) is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions. The ''secularization thesis'' expresses the ...
of Irish society, members of the association are increasingly
older people
Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...
. Younger Catholics who choose not to drink alcohol are unlikely to belong to the PTAA.
The PTAA does not strive to simply stop people from drinking. It also aims to create opportunities for fun and social activities without the need for the presence of alcohol. It organises many competitions, such as table quizzes, ''Réadóirí'' (a talent competition; ''Réadóirí'' is the
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
word for Pioneers), and sports. Local centres (parishes or schools) compete in these competitions at regional (against local parishes), diocesan, provincial and all-Ireland level. The Pioneers also run two annual
seminars, one for young pioneers (13-18), and one for older Pioneers (18+).
The Association issued an appeal for funds from its website in April 2011 in an effort to prevent closure because of the organisation's indebtedness.
Pioneers threatened as revenue dries up
''Irish Times'' 2011-04-27.
References
Further reading
*{{cite book , title=A Nation of Extremes: the Pioneers in twentieth century Ireland , location=Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, year=1998 , first=Diarmaid , last=Ferriter , authorlink=Diarmaid Ferriter , publisher=Irish Academic Press
Irish Academic Press is an independent Irish publishing house that was established in 1974, with a focus on Irish history, politics, literature and the arts.
History
Irish Academic Press was founded by Frank Cass in 1974 and, following his deat ...
, isbn=0-7165-2623-9
External links
Official website
Ulster Provincial website
Jesuit PTAA web page
1898 establishments in Ireland
Organizations established in 1898
Catholic Church in Ireland
Religious organisations based in Ireland
Temperance organizations
Christian temperance movement