Interviewed by Shane Finucane / photos by Emilija Jefremova

Shane: How long have you lived in the area?
Eileen: 94 years.

Shane: What’s a fond memory you have of living here?
Eileen: When my daughter was born. It was the best day of my life.

Shane: Have you seen this community come back from hard times before?
Eileen: Tuberculosis was in the area but only two children in the school got it. We were only 10 or 11 years old. There was a girl in the area that went to help them when she heard they fell sick, and she was called the ‘Nightingale’ locally. Even though she helped the sick, she never got sick herself.

Shane: What are some things that have helped you through lockdown and what brings you joy?
Eileen: I get two masses every day on the radio and I meditate for an hour. The lockdown doesn’t bother me much at all.

Shane: What does community mean to you? What sort of things are you doing now to stay connected to your community and family?
Eileen: One time community meant a lot, but now I can’t get out much. We’ve been to Kilmaley daycare centre 2 or 3 times in the last year, but a lot of the people who we knew there have passed away. I do get a lot of phone calls from friends and I have family that call all the time.

Shane: What message do you want to share for yourself and this community in 10 years time?
Eileen: The community will be in a better place because there are good people living here and they are always willing to help each other.

Pictured below is a photo of Eileen Doohan and her twin sister Kathleen Murphy, with Padraig O Ceallaigh and his daughter, taken in Lissycasey in 2018. Eileen, Kathleen and Padraig went to national school together. There are also images from Eileens’s shoot with photographer Emilija Jefremova.

Eileen Doohan