Proud of our Heritage
A very large crowd attended a gala function in the Claregalway Hotel recently for the County Galway Heritage Awards 2009 presentations.
There was much delight amongst the members of the Ballinasloe Active Retirement Association when it was announced that they had received an award for second place in the Ballinasloe Electoral area.
One of the most progressive and energetic organisations, central to their core activities is “heritage” with regular organised visits by their members to areas of social and natural heritage across the country. But of most significance under their remit of heritage is a fascinating website and DVD that they produced known as “Fado Fado”,a series of recordings of their own members memories of growing up in Co Galway and elsewhere in Ireland from the 1920’s to 1950’s. These interviews are available as podcasts on the website www.irishfadofado.com
A sincere “thank you” to Brendan Smith of N.U.I.G who guided, encouraged and patiently taught us that we could be part of an important cultural heritage as we had lived through an era, in the thirties and forties, where social, cultural values and lifestyles were vastly different from life to-day. It was a stimulating and rewarding experience.
Chris O’Flynn.
