An anachronism that revives the dark ages

NEXT year we will mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising, but 2016 will also mark the centenary of an even more contentious event — if we can consider such a possibility.

In 1916 Germany and Britain, though they were at war, introduced Daylight Saving Time (also known as British Summer Time for those excited by the prospect of 1916 celebrations) with the wartime objectives of increasing productivity and saving energy. As a consequence, we will move our clocks back an hour early tomorrow and pull the shutters down on what lingers of a beautiful ocher and gold autumn.

Basically, a huge swathe of Irish people are, from Monday morning, condemned to go to work in the dark and go home from work in the dark until spring. This may mean little or nothing to some, but to many others it represents a sad closing in of the world; a narrowing of our window on life- cheering brightness. And it is an utterly contrived imposition; it is a steam-age anachronism, throwing a shadow, literally, over our digital age. We should change it.

How we enumerate time is an artificial construct and those in power can do it to suit their tastes. Britain’s King Edward VII, a keen shooting man, wanted to make the most of winter daylight so he ordered all clocks on Sandringham estate to be set half an hour fast. That display of autocracy may not open a debate about the establishment of a monarchy in this republic, but he had the right idea — lighten up and enjoy life!