‘We learned how to be independent from a young age’

As part of its efforts to highlight the need for a new community centre on the site of the old Macra Hall in Killeigh, the development committee has been putting together profiles of local people from the village and beyond. Joanna McInerney is the latest to be profiled.

PROFILE: JOANNA MCINERNEY

My family are originally from Tipperary, and we came to Killeigh in the early 1990s. My mother, Ellen, was from Nenagh and my father, Patrick, was from Templemore. There was 16 of us; 12 girls, Mary, Ellen, Bridget, Theresa, Winnifred, Ann, Elizabeth, Kathleen, Geraldine, Phyllis, Margaret and myself, and 4 boys: Patrick, Terrance, Micheal and John. My sister, Margaret, passed away at birth and sadly John took his own life a few years ago, leaving a wife and nine children behind him.

After my eldest brother got married to a girl from Birr, we decided as a family to come to Offaly and we stayed. Myself and my siblings would go to Ballinasloe in the summer and come back here in the winter. We lived on the side of the road for many years. We had no relations in Ballinasloe but loved going back there every summer and travelling around, we always did it from the early days and loved it. We got used to the people down there and they got used to us, and we have some great memories.

We settled quite quickly in Killeigh - we have very good neighbours. The opportunity came when we were living in a caravan on the side of the road for some time. We had been looking to buy a permanent site in Killeigh but there was nothing available. I guess people were anxious about who would use the site, but we wanted only for our family, the McInerneys, and it was hard to tell people this.

The house where we are living now came up for sale and the council brought it for us through a Travellers' grant. We were delighted. The only sad thing is my mother never got to see it. She would have loved it but never got the chance to enjoy it. She died at 61 years of age, from lung cancer.

I love living in the house, it was a big transition from moving around. We feel very fortunate to have it. A lot of my relations live in houses in estates, but for us living in Killeigh on our own in the countryside is so much better. Six of my sisters are married and three of us are living here or around Tullamore. We love the area and the people are very nice, we don't bother with them and they don't bother with us, so it all works well. We keep to ourselves.

I remember so well how the local neighbours rallied around us and helped us when Jimmy, my relation, fell off the bike at Scrubb Hill on the main road and passed away. It was difficult time for us all, but the community helped us in every way and we're very grateful to them. Jimmy lived with us, as he was a cousin of my father's. Mick, his other brother, also came to live with us and still does.

There is only myself, my Dad and my sister that lives here now, along with Mick. Dad will turn 87 in June. I am a carer for my Dad, and wouldn't have it any other way. I got used to it, as before my mother passed away she cared for them all. We always helped her growing up and she was our teacher in the home and taught us everything we know from cooking and cleaning to sewing.

We don't travel any more in the summer. My Dad is too old now to travel but up to a few years ago he loved nothing more than to head off for a few weeks. His health and eyesight are failing somewhat. His balance is not great and my brother’s death took its toll on him, as did the loss of my mother. He also misses his cousin, Jimmy, as they both would head away together for a few weeks every summer.

My father never knew how to read or write, but my mother always made sure that, no matter where we were located, we went to school. In fairness to my parents, we never lacked education but we just didn’t stay long enough in the one location to stay in the one school. It never held us back and they were the best parents anyone could wish for.

We learned to have our own independence more so than children growing up now. We know how to gather firewood, light a fire and feed ourselves, and we learned that from a very young age. I myself stayed in school until sixth class and went to Scoil Mhuire in Tullamore. After my confirmation, I left and went to Ballinasloe. Ann, my sister, went in to FÁS and continued her education there but I didn't. My younger siblings got better opportunities than I did. Nowadays, most children would go on to secondary-level education.

We still keep the Traveller customs going as regards looking after the horses and the likes. We still have the Offaly Traveller Movement (OTM) pride week in Charleville Castle, although it hasn't been on the last couple of years due to the pandemic. My sisters, Ann and Mary, are heavily involved in the organising of that great event.

It goes back to Travellers' roots where we light fires and the kettle and the pots, the bakers, and make the bread. When we were young, I still remember my mother lighting the fire to cook the bread and cook the meat in the griddle baker. Boil the onions and make the mash - we would still have them traditions. We also loved the horse fairs down through the years, my father never drove but loved the horse-drawn carriages. It's dying out now, the younger generation will not have what we had.

We wouldn't think twice about preparing my Dad's cart and heading off, we would know how to put the tackle on the cart and the cart on the horse, build a tent, and survive. Most of the younger generation would have no idea how to do this now.

At the pride event, however, you would see all this and some of the younger age would get involved. One of my brother's kids loves all that and is training to be a farrier, which is great to see.

Faith has always been a part of our lives and always will. I was very fortunate to get to Medjugorje and Lourdes and Knock over the years but there is something special about Lourdes. It is my favourite and I hope to get back there sometime again.

A community centre would be great for the area of Killeigh and I look forward to getting involved in the activities and hopefully get to know more of the local people. I would love nothing more than perhaps joining a knitting or sewing group. Another memory of my mother was sewing aprons and sewing swags out of a bag and who knows maybe I could teach someone that someday. Growing up, you learn survival skills. You learn to survive and that’s the most important thing.