The Irish Post's Gathering 2013

The Irish Post’s Gathering 2013

Back to Ballina A four-page special on The Irish Post’s week-long Gathering trip home to Mayo with Leeds Irish Health and Homes

ON HOME GROUND: Leeds-based Mayo man Noel Keaney originally worked in Ballina in 1961. He was part of the group who returned to the town for The Irish Post Gathering Picture: Malcolm McNally

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September 28, 2013The Irish

The Irish Post’s Gath

Going back to their ro

By FIONA AUDLEY Pictures by MALCOLM McNALLY

T

HE TOWN of Ballina opened its heart to members of the Leeds Irish community as they came home for a ‘true gathering’ and reminded them of the many who had left Mayo for Britain over the decades.

Welcoming the group on The Irish Post Gathering with the Leeds Irish Health and Homes charity, Ballina Mayor Johnny O’Malley said: “Our Diaspora, the people who left from North Mayo and from Ballina, mostly went to Leeds. We have still got a bond with them and it’s only right and respectful that we should welcome these people back.”

The Mayor welcomed the group at an official reception at Ballina’s Civic Offices, where he commended LIHH for caring for the older members of the Irish

community in Britain.

“When we look at the work of this charity, it is very similar to what we do here for our senior citizens,” he said.

“We try to get them out of their homes and into social settings to engage them and keep them out and about.”

He explained: “ Our senior citizens in Ballina never ask us for anything, even now, as our young people are forced to emigrate to the bigger cities like Dublin, Cork and Galway, or to Britain or further afield to find work, our senior citizens are left behind with less people to care for them.

Yet they make no demands on us.”

He added: “It’s up to us to provide for them and it’s wonderful to see Leeds Irish Health and Homes doing something so similar for all the men and women who have left Ireland and settled in Leeds who are in a similar situation.”

The Mayor was joined by a number of local councillors at the reception to honour the Ballina Gathering sponsored by The Irish Post.

We joined the nine LIHH clients and three staff members for the week-long tour of the town, as they visited a number of local highlights while rekindling their roots with Ireland.

Regarding that partnership Mr O’Malley said: “What The Irish Post has done for this charity is the essence of what a community is. For a business to support a charity and enable a trip is what should be happening in society in general. This trip would not have happened without the support of The Irish Post and we thank them for their support of this initiative, which strengthens the connections between our two islands, in particular the official friendship link between Ballina and Leeds, and is a true Gathering.”

The Leeds group with Mayor of Ballina Johnnie O’Malley, Town Clerk Carmel Murphy and Town Manager Paddy Mahon, councillo

The Jackie Clarke Collection The Jackie Clarke Collection is a museum in Ballina which houses more than 100,000 historical Irish items, dating back as far as 1617, from the remarkable collection gathered by the late businessman, politician and collector Jackie Clarke.

Officially opened by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in June, the centre provides a fascinating insight into the history of Ireland and documents significantly the waves of emigration between Ireland and Britain over the centuries.

The collection includes reference to and clippings from The Irish Post over the years among its vast array of articles. Of particular note are original copies of Ireland’s 1916 and much rarer 1917 Proclamations.

Jackie’s youngest son Peter Clarke, a Ballina Town Councillor, was on hand to guide the Leeds group through the impressive interactive museum, alongside Collection Director and Curator Sinead McCoole.

Ballina Mayor Johnnie O’Malley leading the Leeds Irish Health and Homes group in a sing song at Dillons Bar.

Enjoying the session were Leeds Irish Health and Homes staff member Vicky Barnes, Barbara Cavell and Noel Keaney.

Peter Clarke, son of the late Jackie Clark Jackie Clarke Collection. Peter is an Inde

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Journeying into the past

ors, local representatives and the Irish Post’s Fiona Audley.

A WEEK of activities kept the LIHH and Irish Post delegation busy in Ballina this month.

Among them an impromptu visit to Belleek Caste — owned by the Marshall hotelier family, originally from Jersey — proved a highlight.

The castle, which is also a hotel, boasts a fine restaurant and is a popular wedding venue choice. It was opened especially for our group to take an early morning tour, which unveiled a wealth of history behind its ancient doors.

Among the artefacts up for our appraisal were a 200milionyear-old dinosaur fossil, a 60,000-year-old woolly mammoth’s tusk and a 500-year-old bed once lain in by Grace O’Malley, the pirate queen of Mayo.

Elsewhere an invigorating tour of the town deemed the ‘Salmon Capital of Ireland’ continued to surprise, led by Kevin Keegan, Architect for Ballina Town Council.

What began with an atmospheric stroll through the remains of the 1460 Rosserk Friary, continued with a tour of the picturesque town of Killala — with a monastic round tower in its centre and ‘French Road’ link to the 1798 Battle of Killala — and ended in a walk through the nearby League Cemetery, led by local Councillor Gerry Ginty.

Kevin O’Connor, who managed to visit relatives in Ballina while on the LIHH trip, said: “It’s been a great trip, the activities have been great and I have been writing a blog of my experiences every day.”

He added: “I am trying to take down as many notes as possible everywhere we go as this is part of my family’s history and I want to be able to share that with my own grandchildren.”

As the week went on the group visited the Jackie Clarke Collection, attended the Big Culture Night at the Ballina Arts Cub, and enjoyed meeting their peers at the Moy Valley Over 55 Group.

And those who brought their sea legs couldn’t resist the opportunity to take up a spot of fishing in Ireland’s salmon capital by wading into the River Moy to tackle the bristling waters.

Fishing fan Jim Gallacher, a Donegal native, who has lived in Leeds for more than 30 years, was among them. “I like fishing and you can’t come here to Ballina and not have a go,” he said.

“It’s been a great trip and there has been so much to do, it’s a real holiday.”

At Killala Round Tower.

Jim Gallacher at Belleek Castle.

e, is pictured with Kevin O’Connor at the pendent councillor with Ballina Town Council.

Mayor of Ballina Johnnie O’Malley with Anne Delorosa Goodyear and Barbara Cavell.

Anne Hanranan at the Jackie Clarke Collection.

“Our Diaspora, the people who left from North Mayo and from Ballina, mostly went to Leeds.

We’ve still got a bond with them and it’s only right and respectful that we should welcome these people back. It’s important for them and for us to say ‘welcome home’. Life can be hard for elderly people when family are gone and you cannot do things

for yourself. Having someone to extend that hand of friendship means a lot and that’s what Leeds Irish Health and Homes do for their clients. When we sit down with this holiday group and talk about their youth and their memories you can see faces light up because they’re reliving a bit of their past. This is what community is about, looking out

for each other. We all hope that we’re going to live long and healthy lives and let’s hope that there will be someone there to do this for us when that time comes.

It’s up to us to ensure that these people are looked after and it’s great to have the Leeds group here in Ballina.”

Johnnie O’Malley Mayor of Ballina

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The Irish Post’s Gathering 2013

Ballina Mayor Johnnie O’Malley and Town Manager Paddy Mahon are pictured fourth and fifth left with Barbara Cavell, Kevin O’Connor, Anne Gallagher, Noel Kearney and Ann Hanrahan.

In praise of Leeds Irish Health and Homes

James Dunne, Delores Goodyear and bus driver George McLaren.

“The official friendship link between Leeds and Ballina means a lot to us and we’re grateful to have the opportunity to strengthen those links by welcoming this special group to our town.

Many people from Leeds regard Ballina and Mayo as their second home. We offer a very genuine welcome that helps people to connect with their roots. We’re proud of Ballina as a destination and we know it has lots to offer like the Jackie Clarke museum with an amazing array of Irish historical documents. We’re the salmon capital of Ireland and with all this natural beauty it’s a great place to come and relax. We know this holiday group will have a fantastic time.”

Paddy Mahon Ballina Town Manager

“I am delighted we have another group in Ballina this year. At the start of the holiday last year we met a quiet, shy group of people. A few days later they were transformed and had really come out of themselves. They felt comfortable and relaxed and were having the craic with people in Ballina. This type of holiday has a lasting impact on their physical and mental health; that boost and positivity will stay with them. We owe them that much, they are part of our community even if they live abroad. It’s important that we continue to support organisations like Leeds Irish Health and Homes and look after the welfare of the Irish abroad.

Dara Calleary Mayo TD

Planning on salmon

Irish Post Regional Editor Fiona Audley, Cllr Frances McAndrew from Ballina Town Council and Vicky Barnes from Leeds Irish Health and Homes.

Aer Lingus lifts Gathering AER Lingus Regional is a supporter of The Irish Post Gathering with Leeds Irish Health and Homes.

From its London base at Southend Airport — recently voted the best British airport in a Which? poll of thousands of passengers — the carrier is proving a popular choice for those travelling to Ireland who want to enjoy the comfort, simplicity and ease of a smaller regional airport.

The Aer Lingus Regional service, operated by Aer

Arann, offers three daily services between London Southend and Dublin. They have carried 80,000 passengers since the route launched a little over a year ago.

Aer Lingus Regional plans to launch new larger aircraft to operate on the route from October, which will increase passenger capacity by 16 per cent.

■ For further information visit www.southendairport.com

Kevin O’Connor is pictured by the famous Ridge Pool on the River Moy. Kevin, who has family connections with Ballina, was planning on trying his hand at fishing for salmon later in the week.

“This is an opportunity to welcome people home. Whether this group has family here or don’t, Ireland is still their home and Ballina is the host.

The work that Leeds Irish Health and Homes do is very impressive. Many of their clients may not have opportunities to travel home and it’s fantastic that with support they can make this trip. This is about giving people the chance to visit and experience something that is unique to our culture, Irish hospitality. That warm welcome is uplifting for the soul. That sort of hospitality is at the heart of rural Ireland and the charm of rural Ireland. It’s the personal touch that must be experienced. I know the group from Leeds Irish Health and Homes will get a warm welcome and that is a reflection of the respect we have for the work they’re doing. The support they give to the Irish abroad is so much appreciated and recognised.”

Michelle Mulherin Mayo TD

“It’s great to have the opportunity to showcase the best of Ballina to the holiday group from Leeds Irish Health and Homes and The Irish Post. We’ve seen a big increase in tourism to the town over the last year, we know we have lots to offer and we want to build on that. Meeting this group from Leeds is about strengthening connections with the UK and we want to extend that to the business community too. There is a will and openness amongst the Ballina business community to develop relationships abroad and we’d like to hear from any businesses in the UK that would like to work together.”

Kevin Connolly Ballina Chamber of Commerce

Finding my confidence…

Barbara Cavell was delighted to be among those taking part in The Irish Post and Leeds Irish Health and Homes Gathering in Ballina. She took some time out to tell us why the charity means so much to her and many like her.

“Leeds Irish Health and Homes gave me my life back after suffering with severe depression. A friend kept asking me to go to the Wednesday group and reluctantly one day I agreed to go and little did I know it would do what my pills were failing to do. The people were extremely welcoming and I heard chattering and laughter for the first time in many months. Then we started taking trips as a group, like this one in Ballina, and I began to feel alive again. My self-esteem began to rise no end and I had many adventures I couldn’t have dreamed I would be having at my age.

Leeds Irish Health and Homes care for a whole range of people and are an inclusive group through all strata of society, giving people dignity and confidence, and in my Barbara Cavell at Belleek Castle beside Grace case happiness.”

O’Malley’s bed.