Interviewed by Brona Joyce and Katie Ward / photos by Kristina Kelly

Brona & Katie: How long have you lived in the area?
Catherine: 55 years.

Brona & Katie: What’s a fond memory you have of living here?
Catherine: Going on picnics to Haltons with my mother, brother and sister. We used to bring bread to feed the ducks every time.

Brona & Katie: Have you seen this community come back from hard times before?
Catherine: Yes, growing up in the 80’s was difficult. There were very few jobs in the area and I left home at 19 to work.

Brona & Katie: What is the biggest change you have seen in this community?
Catherine: When I was growing up, there were no people from other countries living here and most people left for England or the USA. It is great now that there are people from Eastern Europe opening businesses and enriching the community.

Brona & Katie: What are some things that have helped you through lockdown and what brings you joy?
Catherine: I have read quite a lot of books, listened to Lyric FM- especially ‘Movies and Musicals’ on Saturday afternoons. Dancing, music and hearing from others brought me joy.

Brona & Katie: What does community mean to you? What sort of things are you doing now to stay connected to your community and family?
Catherine: Growing up, our household was big into GAA. I used to go to all my brother’s matches. I now attend my nephew’s matches, which brings the community together in supporting the teams.

Brona & Katie: If you could change one thing back to the way it was, what would it be?
Catherine: Years ago, it felt like people had more time to talk to each other and to visit each other’s houses in an informal way. I miss that.

Brona & Katie: What message do you want to share for yourself and this community in 10 years time?
Catherine: I think lockdown has shown me that it is people that matter, not things. The Town Team have done great work in brightening up the town and I hope this continues into the next 10 years.

Brona & Katie’s experience with the project: “We liked taking time out to sit and ask important questions in her life and get a good insight into her memories and important parts of her time here.”

Pictured below is art inspired by Brona and Katie’s interview with Catherine, depicting a fond memory of Catherine going on picnics with her family. Also shown are images from Catherine’s shoot with Katherine.