The Dramatic Class of the St. John’s Temperance Society in Limerick recently performed “The Colleen Bawn.” While we refrain from passing judgment on their choice of play, we find it necessary to comment on the program itself. It seems rather incongruous to find advertisements promoting alcohol in connection with an event organized by a Temperance Society. Although it is possible to support temperance without being a teetotaler, the presence of such advertisements on the program raises eyebrows. Perhaps the St. John’s Temperance Society has yet to develop a sense of irony.

On the front page of the program, which is associated with the St. John’s Temperance Society of Limerick, there is an invitation that reads: “Come on, Boys! Where! Where! Where! Just around the corner to John Doyle’s Bar for a Fresh Pint of Stout, a Decent Glass of Grog, a Sparkling Bottle of Bass.” Another section of the front page advertises a “high-class bar.” Furthermore, on the back page, the audience attending this temperance-related event is encouraged to visit Griffin’s on High Street for the best drinks. They are also informed that J.J. and S. Malt, Guinness’s XX, and Bass’s Ale can be found at O’Malley’s on Gerald Griffin Street. All we can say is, let us hope that the St. John’s Temperance Society gains a sense of the ridiculous.

Dublin Leader – Saturday 27 February 1904