Just over a year later, we were asked to go to Northern Ireland, first to Armagh and then to Newry, both mostly Catholic towns. Tension in the area was high, and we had to be very cautious and discerning when talking with people. Meetings were held in a brother and sister’s home that was ten miles (16 km) away from where we lived. About eight attended. When invited to stay the night, we would sleep on the floor and enjoy a hearty breakfast the next day. It is a great joy to know that there are now many Witnesses in that area.

“WE’LL DO THAT!”

My brother and his wife, Lottie, were already serving as special pioneers in Northern Ireland, and in 1952 the four of us attended a district convention in Belfast. A brother kindly accommodated all of us, together with Pryce Hughes, then the branch servant in Britain. One night we discussed the release of the booklet God’s Way Is Love, produced especially with Ireland in mind. Brother Hughes spoke of the difficulty in reaching Catholic people in the Irish Republic. Brothers were being put out of their accommodations and facing mob violence instigated by the priests. “We need couples with cars,” Pryce said, “to engage in a special campaign to distribute the booklet throughout the country.”a Our immediate response was, “We’ll do that!” Hence, the comment made at the beginning of this story.

One place where pioneers could always stay in Dublin was at the home of Ma Rutland, a longtime faithful sister. After a stop there and after selling some belongings, the four of us piled onto Bob’s motorcycle and sidecar and went in search of an automobile. We found a suitable secondhand car and asked the seller to deliver it to us, since none of us could drive. Arthur spent that evening sitting on the bed, going through imaginary gearshift movements. The next morning while he was attempting to drive the car out of the garage, missionary Mildred Willett (who later married John Barr) came by. She could drive! Now on the road and with a little more practice, we were ready to go!

Next, we needed accommodations. We had been cautioned to avoid living in a trailer because opposers might set it on fire, so we searched for a home, but in vain. That night the four of us slept in the car. The next day, all we could find was a little homemade trailer with two small bunk beds. That became our home. Amazingly, we had no problem parking the trailer on the property of friendly farmers. We covered territory that was 10 to 15 miles (16 to 24 km) away. Then after moving on, we would return and call on those in the area where we had been parked.

We visited all the homes in the southeast of the Republic without much trouble at all, distributing over 20,000 booklets and passing on to the Britain branch office the names of interested people. What a blessing it is to have hundreds of Witnesses there now!

A NEW ASSIGNMENT IN IRELAND

In 1964, Arthur received a new assignment as branch servant in the Irish Republic. We had greatly enjoyed the traveling work, so at first I felt very apprehensive about the change. Looking back, now I am grateful to have been given the privilege of serving at Bethel. I believe that if you accept an assignment even when you don’t really feel like doing it, you will always be blessed by Jehovah. My days were filled with office duties, packing literature, cooking, and cleaning. For some time, we were also in district work and were able to meet brothers throughout the country. This, along with seeing our Bible students make progress, created a strong bond with our spiritual family in Ireland. What a blessing!

A TURNING POINT IN IRELAND’S THEOCRATIC HISTORY

The first international convention in Ireland was held in Dublin in 1965.b Despite intense opposition on all fronts, the convention was a great success. A total of 3,948 attended, and 65 got baptized. Everyone who had provided accommodations for the 3,500 international delegates received a letter of appreciation. Householders, in turn, praised the delegates’ conduct. It was indeed a turning point for Ireland.

In 1966 both north and south Ireland were united under the Dublin branch office​—a sharp contrast to the political and religious divisions on the island. We were thrilled to see so many Catholics coming into the truth and serving alongside brothers who were once Protestants.