Interviewed by Tierna Hegarty

Tierna: How long have you lived in the area?
Bridie: 62 years.

Tierna: What’s a fond memory you have of living here?
Bridie: I have loads of happy memories throughout my 62 years of living in Kilnamona, such as gambles at Micky Pegger’s house, dances at Miley Kean’s house, Christmas nights at Quinn’s, visits from various neighbours such as Norah Cobey, John and Marie Shannon, and Larry Considine. All of these people and many more have brought great memories into my home.

Tierna: Have you seen this community come back from hard times before?
Bridie: Oh yes, during the 40s and 50s hard times were around. It was very hard to get work, with very scarce work to make a bit of money.

Tierna: What are some things that have helped you through lockdown and what brings you joy?
Bridie: The fine weather during lockdown definitely helped. Also, my family were here constantly as they were not working or working from home, bringing me company. What brings me joy is having people calling over and my family, but I don’t see much of them since the lockdown was lifted.

Tierna: What does community mean to you? What sort of things are you doing now to stay connected to your community and family?
Bridie: Community to me means having good friendships with neighbours in my community and getting on with everyone. I go to knitting classes and I go to the holy hour every Tuesday to stay connected with my community. Picking up the phone to call my son and sisters in America and having my family call over also keeps me connected to them as well.

Tierna: What message do you want to share for yourself and this community in 10 years time?
Bridie: Try to keep the community the same way as it is now – to stay in this positive neighbourly environment where everyone is getting on.