Interviewed by Niamh Corrigan

Niamh: How long have you lived in the area?
Maura: 55 years.

Niamh: What’s a fond memory you have of living here?
Maura: My fond memories of living in this community include raising my 3 children with my late husband Chris, and watching and meeting the many people that would come to the forge. Some would maybe for dinner, it was a great meeting point in the community. Now I’m fondly watching my lovely grandchildren grow up in this community. This gives me such joy during these hard times.

Niamh: Have you seen this community come back from hard times before?
Maura: Yes, I have definitely seen this community struggle through the hard times in the 70s and 80s. We have seen plenty of young people emigrate through the years in this area alone.

Niamh: What are some things that have helped you through lockdown and what brings you joy?
Maura: The little thing that brought me joy during lockdown was walking the lovely Dromard walkway at the football pitch. I also watched many different series and films on Netflix and I was able to connect with my friends and grandchildren through my smartphone using FaceTime and WhatsApp. This has really changed my life entirely and has helped me to adapt to the new ways of living.

Niamh: What does community mean to you? What sort of things are you doing now to stay connected to your community and family?
Maura: When I could not have visitors during lockdown, I was able to stay in contact with my family and friends using FaceTime and WhatsApp. The community here in Legga and Dromard will always mean a lot to me. They have been very supportive of our small business here, which has now evolved into a shop, filling station and heating oil and tank delivery service, and which has been in the area for over 100 years.

Niamh: What message do you want to share for yourself and this community in 10 years time?
Maura: Just in case I’m not here in ten years, I will leave this message for both my grandchildren and wider community: I hope that this community will treat you with the same joy it has provided me for the last 55 years. I hope to see the community here show the same positive progression and community spirit that it has from the very start.

Pictured below is a photo Niamh submitted as a creative response to her interview with her grandmother: Maura shown with her grandchildren.