'The Gaeltacht experience is a great way to spend a month or so in west Donegal. Most of those who have gone there will agree.'

'The Gaeltacht experience is a great way to spend a month or so in west Donegal. Most of those who have gone there will agree.'

Rosemary notes how important the Gaeltacht was to her and she remembers some of the fun that she had with friends there.

Rosemary McCloskey

Trinity College Dublin

1960

This item is protected by original copyright

This content may be downloaded and used (with attribution) for research, teaching or private study. It may not be used for commercial purposes without permission.

Rosemary McCloskey

Adolescence and Early Adulthood

Life Story

Rannafast, Co. Donegal

1960's

That was an unforgettable summer. I stayed at Teach Shighle Bhili, Toin na Bhaile, with Cissie O'Donnell RIP, and her son Vincent (who later became head master of the primary school in Frosses in Co Donegal)and another eight or so students. We had such fun, and learnt so much from our stay there. We made friendships which have lasted to the present day both in Rannafast and Belfast.The Gaeltacht experience is a great way to spend a month or so in west Donegal. Most of those who have gone there will agree. They will talk of the fun and the life of music dancing and story- telling as well as all the other pranks we all got up to on our first time away from home, -harmless innocent fun, like skipping off to Annagry for chips or to listen to the juke box in the caf� there, next to the dance hall. This was not approved of by the college authorities, who were in the business of giving us the immersion treatment, in order that we improve our language skills. Anyone who was caught speaking English would be sent home 'ar an cead bus ar maidin' (on the first bus next morning) and no appeals accepted. We had the sense not to get caught, but to be honest I was so keen on the language, that I did not want to speak English when I had the chance to speak Gaelic.I spent many summers during the sixties in Rannafast, and returned there very often during my life to visit old friends, one of whom was very special to me, Micheal O Baoghill (Mac Bhelle Fheidhlimidh). Mici was found dead at the back of a holiday home on a back road on his way home from a pub in Dungloe. He had obviously fallen and was unable to rise, and so died of hypothermia. That was around St Patrick's Day 2006.I went across from London with my friend Aidan O'Kane, who accompanied me to his funeral in Annagry, where he is buried in the grave with his uncle, Seosamh Mac Grianna.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)