Damien's Story

Between Killadoon and Killary Bay in south Mayo there is much evidence that this was once a many-peopled land. Ancient cottages crumble into dust, once-tilled fields make criss-cross patterns on the hillside, a roofless church stares out across the sea.

The population was decimated by the famine, then later generations adopted the catch phrase, “There’s nothing here for us”, and regarded with scorn the parcels of land they became heirs to.

Most of them took off in search of whatever was lacking in the admittedly poor-quality land, but as they mostly ended up in cities, it was obviously more than land that they sought.

What was it?

A life of action, of interest, of companionship, of good food? A man who found all of these things and more right where he was born is Joe Murphy, who inherited a patch of those hungry acres from his father and lives on them very happily with his wife.

Submitted By: Damien Murphy

The original story is available below