Glimmer man facts for kids

A glimmer man was a nickname for inspectors in Ireland during a time called "The Emergency" (which was World War II for Ireland). These inspectors worked for gas companies, like the Alliance and Dublin Consumers' Gas Company. Their job was to find people using gas when they weren't supposed to. This happened from March 1942, and in some places, even until 1947.

The name "glimmer man" came from advertisements. These ads told people not to waste gas, saying "not even a glimmer." Ireland didn't have much of its own coal. So, it relied on importing coal to make gas. But during the war, it was very hard to get coal. This caused a big shortage of fuel.

Gas Shortage in Ireland

Ireland faced a serious problem because it couldn't get enough coal. This meant there wasn't enough gas for homes and businesses.

Why Gas Was Scarce

During World War II, it was very difficult for Ireland to import coal. Coal was needed to make gas. Because of this, gas production dropped a lot. Scientists tried to make gas from peat (a type of fuel from bogs), but it wasn't enough.

Rules and Restrictions

At first, people couldn't use gas for home heating. In March 1942, in Dublin, gas was only available for 10 hours a day during the week. On Sundays, it was 11 hours. But this didn't save enough gas.

So, in May, the gas supply was cut even more. Gas was only available for 5.5 hours a day. Using gas outside these hours was against the rules. These "off hours" became known as the "glimmer hours."

Life Without Gas

The gas cuts made life very hard for many people, especially in cities. Most homes used gas for heating, cooking, and lighting.

How People Coped

With no other easy ways to cook or heat their homes, people tried to use any gas left in the pipes. This was after the main supply was turned off. By 1943, the Dublin Gas Company even ran ads. They said the glimmer man was "a public benefactor." This meant he was helping everyone by making sure gas wasn't wasted.

Eventually, the gas supply became so low that in April 1944, Seán Lemass, a government minister, threatened to make it a crime to use gas during "off hours." However, this threat was never actually carried out. Some smaller gas companies even closed down. Others tried to make gas using peat and charcoal.

What Glimmer Men Did

Glimmer men had the power to enter homes. They could check if people were using gas when they shouldn't be. If they caught someone, they could cut off the gas supply to that house.

However, some places, like Trinity College, Dublin, seemed to be safe from these inspections. This might have been because there were very few glimmer men. Perhaps only two or three for all of Dublin.

How People Saw Them

People often found glimmer men to be very nosy. A famous song lyric by Phil Chevron even mentions being "Rattled by the glimmer man." This means people felt nervous or scared when they thought a glimmer man might show up.

Stories and Memories

Today, some people wonder if glimmer men really went house-to-house. But there are stories that say they did. One person remembered a glimmer man visiting their home twice. He would put powder on the gas meter to see if gas had been used. Even if it had, this family never got into trouble. People soon learned to recognize the glimmer men.

Another story tells of a neighbor who had her gas cut off. It also describes how a mother tried to avoid being caught using "the glimmer." Even in Irish history classes today, students learn about the glimmer man and his importance.

The Irish Times newspaper also wrote about glimmer men during the war years (1942–1945). They reported a robbery where someone pretended to be a glimmer man. There was also a long article about them by Myles na gCopaleen. Glimmer men even appeared in children's street songs!

Remembering the Glimmer Man

Even though glimmer men were only around for a short time, they left a lasting mark on Irish memory. People still talk about them in history books, blogs, and news articles. They appear in personal stories and memoirs.

Their impact is strongest on those who lived through that time. The poet Paul Perry wrote about how the memory of the glimmer man was as important to an old woman as the memory of politician Éamon de Valera:

‘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.
May the Glimmerman never return.
— from "Of The Gas Stove and the Glimmerman" by Paul Perry in The Drowning of the Saints, Salmon Poetry (2003)

Today, the term "glimmer man" is sometimes used to describe any unwanted checking into someone's private life, especially by government officials.