My Life and Times- William’s story

My name is William. I have one brother in America. He went there before Mammy died. He’s a truck driver at the moment. A truck driver. I would like to visit him but it’s too dear. And too far too. My sister Maggie is married. My two nieces call me William. I don’t mind I don’t. They all call me my Christian name.

My brother phones me. I have a mobile. I got it in the mobile shop as you go down to Sean Brown’s. Maggie phones me on the mobile and sometimes my nieces and nephews too.

Mammy died of cancer.

I was down in the centre and when I came home my sister phoned me that Mammy was in hospital and I got upset. And I was, I had to go back to her. And I had good neighbours at home and one of them come over to me and said to me- well they said to Maggie- “have you been to see Mammy”. And I wasn’t going. She had something with the bones on your hand and cataracts, you know, in her eyes.

She went to hospital and then home here. She was 13 year dead this April. Daddy went to England before this. Mam was looking after the farm.

Cutting turf

I was born on a farm. Indeed, yeah. We had cows and calves and all that sort of thing. The haymaking and all that sort of thing, making cox, the hay and bringing it with the donkeys… what do you call it? Bringing it on with the donkey and cart. And going to the bog. Turf, we had a turf bog.

Well we’d cut it with the sléan, and now it’s with the turf machine.
We’d all of us go to the bog. We brought it home and burned it in an open fire.

Early days

I was going to go in the convent. Then I went to the National but I didn’t like going to the National. There were too many bodies, I didn’t like it. We used to walk to the National.

Then we went to go to see the Brothers. They said that they would take me. I used to go to the workshop. I did woodwork, and all that sort of thing. And I’m fond of gardening. I got into it when I came here. I got into it when the girls showed me.

Starting in the centre

I didn’t get to home. I didn’t like it. I never got to get home. I didn’t. I was talking to Jimmy, he came up, and I was talking to him, and I said to him, “I’m never not to go home,” I says. I said “Jimmy,  I’d love to go home … pray for me that way I’d go to it,” I said. I did used to go home on the CIE bus, got home one Easter time on the CIE bus.

Jimmy looked into the Centre here, for going home and coming this way. I was very happy I came down this way. It was near home. I like to be here because I like to be near home. I liked coming back to my own part of the country, the county.

Well we used to more in the centre but that’s gone. Then I came up here. ‘Cause there’s nothing to be done in the centre, I said. And that’s why I put my name down; I said I’d come up here. I’m happy here now. We were down in another place, and I got my appointment for me hip. I know they find it often hard, but still I came up here. You know, they didn’t tell us where we were going.

Living

I got up at half seven. I set the table and all that sort of thing. I have a bedroom on me own and I have a television for myself. My favourites are Home and Away, Coronation Street, Neighbours, Fair City. I’m happy here and I love this place.

I can go home every weekend and I’m near my sister. I have two nieces and one nephew. I see them every weekend. I do go up to their house. And they were good to me when I were in hospital, they came up to see me and some.

I don’t complain…

I never did complain about anything so. I never did and I never will. I don’t get into them complaints, I don’t get into them habits of complaining.

I am happy and thank God for that and I hope I keep it up. There is enough nonsense going on in the world. An awful lot of things going on in the world. I’ve good neighbours and I’ve good friends here. Everyone is happy to me and they were glad to see me when I came back back from hospital.

Well I never did complain. And then they said to me would you like to get your hip done now? Well I have to. When I have that done I’ll maybe get the other one done, I don’t know yet. I may be getting the two of them, I may be getting that one done.

Knock & Lourdes

I’m going to Lourdes this year. I was in Lourdes before, in the south of France. For the week. I’m going up praying. Lourdes is where the saint is. Mary is the saint, she appeared to everyone. We might go to the Glasse. People go with me, people from Knock.
I’ve been to Knock, I’ve been there at where the Virgin Mary appeared at the wall at Knock.

I love it here

I love it here; honestly I love it here now. We worked with wood; we worked with wood in the centre. With wood, you know. I’m happy doing anything now. We have two donkeys here. In June they foal. I feed the donkeys.

I go out dancing. I love country bands. Country songs. I like Big Tom. Em Stewart, all them.

I’m happy here. Well I’m happy, I have good company.

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