WATCH: 'Our Days and Nights' Zoomed past

A wise person once said: “We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.”

The charming reminiscence 'Our Days and Nights' proves the veracity of this beautiful statement.

Recently published by Inishowen Development Partnership (IDP), the product of its cross-border reminiscence programme, which was headed up by talented musician Tracey McRory and jointly facilitated by Anne Tracey and Eamonn Baker, 'Our Days and Nights' is a delightful miscellany of stories.

Hats off to storytellers: Betty Beattie, Irene Cartmill, Marie Coyle, Helena Downey, Maeve Duffy, Kathleen Graham, Tony Harkin, John Hegarty, Mary Hegarty,Nuala Magee, Betty Martin, Pat McArt, Rosie McArt, Susie McCoy, Sinead McElhinney, Mary Noone, Arlene Noone, Agnes O’Donnell, Sadie O’Neill, Una Stewart and Terry Tedstone.
Speaking to the Inish Times, Tracey McRory said: “We would have loved to have delivered this programme face-to-face but such gatherings proved impossible due to the lockdown restrictions.

“Zoom worked better than we could have hoped however. Our 30 participants told us, even though they were meeting 'through screens', they really valued the human connections which grew from the storytelling, the recall, the craic and the song.”

The 'Our Days and Nights' Zoom sessions were recorded and the audio transcribed by Kirstie Wright and edited by Anne, Eamonn and Tracey.

The book features many of the family stories, tall tales, fairy stories, ghost stories, reminiscences, song lyrics, photos shared by participants during the autumn months of 2020. Who could have asked for more?

Tracey said: “Our joint facilitator, Anne Tracey, is a highly regarded psychologist and counsellor and a noted singer. Her singing brought an extra dimension of warmth to the sessions especially where we listened to local songs and remembered the ‘showband’ scene of the sixties and early seventies on both sides of the border.

“We also reflected on some tough times, living though the Troubles with shootings and bombs an everyday occurrence.

“We were also privileged to welcome Margo O’Donnell as a special guest during one of the sessions, which brought together the Derry-Londonderry and Inishowen groups.

“As well as treating us to a couple of songs, Margo spoke about some of the challenges she has faced in her life. We all felt moved by her openness and honesty.

“Our zoom sessions were also graced, by, amongst others: Joe Mahon, of Lesser Spotted Ulster fame; Irish artists, Luka Bloom and Mary Black; local singer-songwriters, Roy Arbuckle and Richard Laird; local poet, Maura Johnston; author, Keith Corcoran and local historian, Dessie McCallion.”

'Our Days and Nights' participant, Buncrana archaeologist and historian, John Hegarty, said once he heard about the project he knew he would enjoy it.

John said: “I am a history man, so looking back on our youth and hearing other people's perspective from that time, the 1960s is what I am interested in.

“I knew it was going to be an enjoyable project, so I went ahead and it was very, very good. We had some great meetings and some great craic.

“I brought the story about the geese that were walked to Derry Quay from Desertegney, being shooed all the way. Not many people remembered this but I had seen an old photograph and I talked to people about it and they told me about it.

“The other story was the Sharagore Boat. I am a boatman myself and we were told from we were young about the Sharagore Boat and the Fairy Tree being used as a part of it. It was a true story. I also told the story about the two Inishowen hunchbacks who had encounters with the fairy folk.

“We got on very well when the project moved online. It was very, very good.

“I expected it to be a lot less than the face-to-face meetings that we had had during other projects but the way things are, it worked out very well. It was well run and everybody got their turn. I am very happy with the book.

“I was showing it to some friends of mine and they thought it was great craic. Some of the stories they had never heard before, even some of the young people.”
Derry's Marie Coyle said she did not have to think twice when Tracey told her about the 'Our Days and Nights' project.

“I jumped at the opportunity. I love reminiscing and going back to the nice, happy times in life: childhood, neighbours, growing up, family life and work.

“I also love meeting new people. I get really interested in their stories as well as it forms a great connection with people and we all have so much in common.

“Zooming was tough at times, when you are not used to all this technology. It was during the time when all people could think about was Covid, so it was actually a Godsend to see other people's faces and talk to other people, apart from our own family members, so I really enjoyed it. It helped me through the Covid times,” said Marie, who added she would “jump at the chance to be involved in another reminiscence project.

Buncrana's Terry Tedstone moved to Inishowen from England in 1965 and has very vivid memories of that time.

Terry said: “I belong to a group of men who used to meet up in the Lily Rose Café on a Saturday and a Tuesday, so I love to chat.

“During the sessions, we all took part in reminiscing about everything. In 'Our Days and Nights' I mentioned about Mr Farren who used to take photographs of everybody in The Plaza Ballroom. If people were shy, they had to rush up and buy them, before anyone else saw them.

“Patricia Tinney actually wrote a play about days gone by in The Plaza, and used Mr Farren's pictures as part of the set, so we were reminiscing twice.”

Sinead McElhinney, who is also from Buncrana, said she had jumped at the chance to get involved in the 'Our Days and Nights' project.

She added: “I had been doing coffee mornings with the Inishowen Development Partnership, so when I heard about this project, I jumped at it and, I have to say, I really, really enjoyed it.

“What I remembered especially were superstitions like not putting new shoes on the table. I also recalled my experience at boarding school in Buncrana [Scoil Mhuire], learning to dance when we had nobody to dance with but ourselves, and going to the Plaza.

There was also a story about an apparition. My granddaughter could actually see her grandmother and nearly put her father's car off the road.

“There were also the Christmas tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve. I started that when my children were born and now my daughter does it with her kids. It's usually pyjamas,” laughed Sinead, who said she would definitely get involved in another reminiscence project.

“I really enjoyed it,” said Sinead, “because when you would hear people talking, it would spark your memories. There were things I had totally forgotten about in my life and the sessions would bring them to the fore. I found the whole experience very interesting. I enjoyed the Zoom sessions. I looked forward to them every week.”

'Our Days and Nights' was published by IDP, through its Cross Border Shared Heritage PEACE IV Project. The PEACE IV programme is supported by the EU's PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. Match-funding has been provided by the Executive Office, Northern Ireland and the Department for Rural and Community Development, Ireland.
Limited copies of 'Our Days and Nights' are available from IDP.

It is also available from Buncrana and Carndonagh libraries; Inishowen's Free Wee Libraries; and Derry's Shantallow, Central and Waterside libraries.

Remaining copies are being distributed to local care homes and older people projects to be enjoyed on both sides of the border.

For more information contact tracey@inishowen.ie.