Interviewed by Alexander Reilly / photos by Sharon Smith

Alexander: How long have you lived in the area?
Ethel & Ger: We have lived in Crumlin all our lives. We were born here, christened here and made our Communions and Confirmations and got married in the same church.

Alexander: What’s a fond memory you have of living here?
Ethel & Ger: A fond memory is the birth of our 4 children and now 3 grandchildren, our great neighbours, living so close to our parents after our marriage and being part of the local Pitch and Putt and Ladies Clubs.

Alexander: Have you seen this community come back from hard times before?
Ethel & Ger: Thank God we never suffered from hard times and our neighbours appeared to be similar. We were unaware if there was any extreme hardship in the community. People’s expectations were generally lower in those days, but signs of increased prosperity are now evident throughout.

Alexander: What are some things that have helped you through lockdown and what brings you joy?
Ethel & Ger: The feeling that we live in a united community, with everyone showing concern for their neighbours and all helping each other throughout lockdown.

Alexander: What does community mean to you? What sort of things are you doing now to stay connected to your community and family?
Ethel & Ger: Community to us means home, security and a sense of belonging. The community response to Covid has engendered a positive feeling of being anchored in a proud and caring community, and as a result we share greetings from a safe distance with all neighbours whether we know them well or not.

Alexander: What message do you want to share for yourself and this community in 10 years time?
Ethel & Ger: We hope that this sense of unity since the advent of Covid 19 will be maintained over the next 10 years and beyond. We believe it will as we think people have changed. This aspect of community has changed dramatically with a lot of people. We also hope an answer comes for Climate Change for our grandchildren’s sake.

Alexander’s experience: “I have really enjoyed interviewing my Grandparents and finding out things about them that I did not know like being christened, making their communions and confirmations and getting married in the same church.”

Pictured below is Alex’s creative response to his interview with his grandparents, Ethel & Ger- a collage of photos showing Alex and his Grandparents over the years. There are also images from Ethel & Ger’s shoot with Sharon.