A group from west Kerry travel to London to promote their homeplace as somewhere to live and work.
On the Easter weekend of 1973, 73 men and women from Comharchumann Forbartha Chorca Dhuibhne, a community co-operative based in Baile an Fheirtéaraigh (Ballyferriter) in the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht travelled to London to meet their fellow Irishmen and women.
The aim of the trip was to show friends, relatives and neighbours living abroad that things are changing at home. There is potential to make a living among a growing population in west Kerry and the hope is that through fundraising, to make that belief into a reality.
Many of those who made the trip are members of Siamsa Tíre, the folk theatre founded by Fr Pat Aherne and they entertained gatherings in pubs and community centres during their visit.
Land reclamation is one initiative supported by Comharchumann Forbartha Chorca Dhuibhne. Mícheál Mac Giobáin works full time for the cooperative. Promotion of the region in this manner will pay dividends, especially when people hear good news about projects that will generate employment. As he found out,
Do bhí fonn ar a lán díobh dul abhaile dá mbeadh na jabanna ann.
Quality of life is important to two young women who are members of the comharchumann, both of whom have spent time working in cities. The social life may be different in west Kerry but Áine prefers country living. The differences between life in a city and in the Kerry Gaeltacht became clear to those spending time with the Irish community in London over that weekend.
Their peers who emigrated experienced a culture shock, says one woman, who felt that many arrived in London ill prepared for big city living.
In comparison to Ireland, young emigrants have jobs and plenty of money in their pockets to spend on whatever they choose, but the pub is often their only social outlet, and she feels they would like to return home.
They were lonely, in reality.
'Come Home, Stay Home’ was broadcast on 10 December 1975. The reporter is John O’Donoghue.
