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The theme of emigration has been covered many times
in broad brush strokes: in books, plays and on television and
radio. In this book we take a bird’s eye view of the local
scene; those who went away and those who stayed at home.
Here we cover a small cross section of people from Ballaghaderreen
and its hinterland who went away to work on land, on buildings,
in restaurants and B&B’s, to work as nannies, nurses
and trainee teachers; as proprietors of pubs and in banks and
sundry offices. We include our local heroic missionaries, priests
and nuns who travelled the world. They tell a little of their
lives and of the places where they worked. Others stayed at
home to keep things ticking over, with the help of letters exchanged
regularly, generous financial remittances and a shared faith.
We include many photographs in both categories.
Over the decades and
in previous recessions and economic depressions, their sense
of family and home and their generosity helped keep communities
afloat. Have we now the same sense of interdependence? Our
book is called ‘GOING AWAY’. We hope you enjoy
it.
We thank those who by their cooperation in interviews and
their lending of photographs helped our venture.
Mary Gallagher & Margaret Garvey
Enquiries: 094 98 60121 or margarvey@gmail.com
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