Two Donegal women have lent their experiences of emigrationto a unique heritage project celebrating 50 years of the national membership charity: Irish in Britain.
Letterkenny’s Teresa Gallagher (pictured above, left) and Ann Lawler (above, right) both share the struggles of the diaspora in Great Britain for a new exhibition at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum.
‘Look Back to Look Forward’ promises to offer a compelling narrative of the Irish experience in Britain.
In the Oral History segment, Teresa speaks of men alone in bars, crying into their pints.
Teresa is the founder of Immigrant Counselling and Psychotherapy (icap). She trained to be a psychotherapist in London after serving the religious orders.
Teresa spoke of the isolation endured by people who took their ‘secrets’ with them abroad, such as people who had a baby out of wedlock, people who were homosexual, and those with addiction problems.
“Ireland was rotten, Ireland exported all of its problems and people were carrying their secrets,” Teresa says.
Ann, meanwhile, left home in the 1980s and only achieved her dream of returning in 2020. Her oral history account shares the highlights of the ‘miracle’ she felt on moving home.
Listen to part of the contributions in the online exhibition here: https://exhibitions.irishinbritain.org/lookback/journey#oral-histories
Volunteers from the Irish community in Britain received specialised training to ensure the preservation of at-risk testimonies from the last half-century, capturing the sacrifice, joy, challenges, and vital role played by the Irish in modern Britain.
According to Aileesh Carew, CEO & Museum Director of EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, ‘Look Back to Look Forward: 50 Years of the Irish in Britain’ reveals a “dramatic contrast in the experiences of the Irish community in Great Britain from the 1970’s to the present day through the dozens of photos featured and hear about their experiences in their own words, through the oral histories featured. It is a truly remarkable snapshot in time.”
Nathan Mannion, Head of Exhibitions and Programmes at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, commented, “As the rate of Irish emigration to Britain declines, and the Irish diaspora there matures, it has never been more pressing to record and celebrate the stories of those who have made it what it is. This is an exhibition not to be missed!”
‘Look Back to Look Forward: 50 Years of the Irish in Britain’ sheds light on the personal stories, struggles, and triumphs that have shaped the Irish community in Great Britain over the past five decades. The exhibition runs at EPIC from 11th April – 14th July 2024.