Glimmer Man
Encyclopedia
For the 1996 movie see The Glimmer Man
A glimmer man (sometimes rendered as "glimmerman") was a somewhat pejorative name unofficially, but almost universally, applied to inspectors who were employed by the Alliance and Dublin Consumers' Gas Company, the Cork Gas Consumers Company and other supply companies in the smaller towns and places in Ireland
to detect the use of gas
in restricted periods during the years of the Emergency from March 1942 and in some places as late as 1947. The term derived from the copy of advertisements published in the media and on posters which enjoined the population not to waste gas ...not even a glimmer.
Ireland has negligible indigenous coal resources and production of gas was dependent on the importation of coal which was severely restricted as a result of the war in Europe
.
Notwithstanding attempts by the Emergency Scientific Research Bureau to manufacture gas from bog peat
, imports of suitable coal and therefore gas production fell dramatically and initially its use for home heating was prohibited. In March 1942 the supply in Dublin was cut to 10 hours per day during the week and 11 on Sundays but this only reduced usage by about a quarter. In May the supply was further reduced to 5.5 hours per day and the gas supply companies changed their terms of supply to make the use of gas in "off hours" a breach of contract.
The reductions in supply caused great privation as a large proportion of the population (especially in the cities and towns) were dependent on gas for heat, cooking and lighting. As there were no readily available alternative sources of fuel, especially for cooking, people were reduced, if they could, to using the residual gas left in the pipes after the reticulated mains supply had been turned off at the gasworks
.
Eventually the supply was so restricted that by April 1944 the Minister for Supplies
, Seán Lemass
was threatening to make a special Emergency Powers Order
to officially ration
the supply to dwellings and businesses to certain hours of the day and make it a criminal offence to use gas in the "off hours". However that threat was apparently never carried out.
One of the effects of the restrictions was that the smaller supply companies closed or attempted to maintain supply using gas derived from peat and charcoal
.
The gas companies' officials were empowered under their supply contract with their customers to enter premises to carry out their inspections and if they detected anyone using gas outside the permitted hours could disconnect the premises from the mains supply. However, some Dublin residents, such as students at Trinity College
, were apparently immune from the inspectors' visits.
The inspectors were reputed to be particularly intrusive when carrying out their duties as evidenced by the Phil Chevron
lyric in "Faithful Departed" which suggests that in addition to the "boogie man", one can be "Rattled by the glimmer man" in the sense of being alarmed by their anticipated arrival.
Notwithstanding that the phenomenon of the glimmer man was transitory, perhaps much improved with the telling, and had in any event disappeared prior to the middle of the 20th century, it appears to have left an impact on the psyche of the Irish and not just those who lived through the Emergency period. The glimmer man is frequently referred to (as referenced here) in formal histories, blogs and websites newspaper and magazine articles, as well as oral histories and memoirs even if only in passing.
The impact is however most pronounced on those who did have direct experience such that the poet Paul Perry in Letters to a Stranger describes how the memory is as significant to an old woman as that of the politician Éamon de Valera
:
The term is now applied metaphor
ically, particularly in Ireland, to any perceived intrusion into privacy (especially of a bureaucratic nature).
The Glimmer Man
The Glimmer Man is a 1996 American action film directed by John Gray and starring Steven Seagal, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Bob Gunton and Brian Cox.-Plot:...
A glimmer man (sometimes rendered as "glimmerman") was a somewhat pejorative name unofficially, but almost universally, applied to inspectors who were employed by the Alliance and Dublin Consumers' Gas Company, the Cork Gas Consumers Company and other supply companies in the smaller towns and places in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to detect the use of gas
Coal gas
Coal gas is a flammable gaseous fuel made by the destructive distillation of coal containing a variety of calorific gases including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and volatile hydrocarbons together with small quantities of non-calorific gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen...
in restricted periods during the years of the Emergency from March 1942 and in some places as late as 1947. The term derived from the copy of advertisements published in the media and on posters which enjoined the population not to waste gas ...not even a glimmer.
Ireland has negligible indigenous coal resources and production of gas was dependent on the importation of coal which was severely restricted as a result of the war in Europe
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Notwithstanding attempts by the Emergency Scientific Research Bureau to manufacture gas from bog peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
, imports of suitable coal and therefore gas production fell dramatically and initially its use for home heating was prohibited. In March 1942 the supply in Dublin was cut to 10 hours per day during the week and 11 on Sundays but this only reduced usage by about a quarter. In May the supply was further reduced to 5.5 hours per day and the gas supply companies changed their terms of supply to make the use of gas in "off hours" a breach of contract.
The reductions in supply caused great privation as a large proportion of the population (especially in the cities and towns) were dependent on gas for heat, cooking and lighting. As there were no readily available alternative sources of fuel, especially for cooking, people were reduced, if they could, to using the residual gas left in the pipes after the reticulated mains supply had been turned off at the gasworks
Gasworks
A gasworks or gas house is a factory for the manufacture of gas. The use of natural gas has made many redundant in the developed world, however they are often still used for storage.- Early gasworks :...
.
Eventually the supply was so restricted that by April 1944 the Minister for Supplies
Minister for Supplies (Ireland)
The Minister for Supplies was created by the , to assist Ireland through World War II, or The Emergency, as referred to by the Government of Ireland...
, Seán Lemass
Seán Lemass
Seán Francis Lemass was one of the most prominent Irish politicians of the 20th century. He served as Taoiseach from 1959 until 1966....
was threatening to make a special Emergency Powers Order
Emergency Powers Act 1939
The Emergency Powers Act 1939 is an act of the Oireachtas enacted on 3 September 1939 after an official state of emergency had been declared on 2 September 1939...
to officially ration
Rationing
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services. Rationing controls the size of the ration, one's allotted portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time.- In economics :...
the supply to dwellings and businesses to certain hours of the day and make it a criminal offence to use gas in the "off hours". However that threat was apparently never carried out.
One of the effects of the restrictions was that the smaller supply companies closed or attempted to maintain supply using gas derived from peat and charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
.
The gas companies' officials were empowered under their supply contract with their customers to enter premises to carry out their inspections and if they detected anyone using gas outside the permitted hours could disconnect the premises from the mains supply. However, some Dublin residents, such as students at Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, were apparently immune from the inspectors' visits.
The inspectors were reputed to be particularly intrusive when carrying out their duties as evidenced by the Phil Chevron
Phil Chevron
Philip Ryan , professionally known as Philip Chevron, is an Irish singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the guitarist for The Pogues.-Career:...
lyric in "Faithful Departed" which suggests that in addition to the "boogie man", one can be "Rattled by the glimmer man" in the sense of being alarmed by their anticipated arrival.
A Low Lingering Flame
In the 21st century doubt has been cast on whether in fact there were ever house to house inspections carried out by gas supply company officials. But one oral history graphically describes a glimmer man's inspections He came to our house I think about twice. He came at a very civil time of the day, when there nothing doing, you know? ... When he came into our house he put his hands over the thing and put powder on it then… with the powder, I don't know what time it would have to be since they were on, but he'd put the powder on, but we never got in any trouble over it. After a while everybody got to know them (laughs) “it’s the glimmerman” and you'd be pouring water over it. Another writer describes the tribulations of a neighbouring widow to get reconnected and the lengths his mother went to avoid being detected using "the glimmer" but concedes that his house never received a visit. On the other hand secondary school history students are expected to have a knowledge of the topic and be able to comment on its significance.Notwithstanding that the phenomenon of the glimmer man was transitory, perhaps much improved with the telling, and had in any event disappeared prior to the middle of the 20th century, it appears to have left an impact on the psyche of the Irish and not just those who lived through the Emergency period. The glimmer man is frequently referred to (as referenced here) in formal histories, blogs and websites newspaper and magazine articles, as well as oral histories and memoirs even if only in passing.
The impact is however most pronounced on those who did have direct experience such that the poet Paul Perry in Letters to a Stranger describes how the memory is as significant to an old woman as that of the politician Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
:
She's gas;
her eyes hold the best
part of the century. She'll tell you about the Black 'n Tans,
Dev, the gas stove and the glimmerman.
The term is now applied metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
ically, particularly in Ireland, to any perceived intrusion into privacy (especially of a bureaucratic nature).