President Connolly visits Donegal exhibition in Glasgow
The exhibition celebrates an important part of Donegal's social and cultural history.
President Catherine Connolly visited a Donegal emigration exhibition in Glasgow.
The President of Ireland, Catherine Connolly, visited Glasgow today as part of her official visit to Scotland, where she viewed the award-winning exhibition Working Over By: Donegal Emigrant Working Lives in Scotland 1940–1990.
The exhibition is on display at the City Archives in The Mitchell Library in Glasgow and explores the experiences and working lives of the many Donegal men and women who emigrated to Scotland between 1940 and 1990.
Representatives from Donegal County Museum, the Donegal Heritage Office, Donegal County Archives – Culture Division of Donegal County Council, and the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies were delighted to welcome the President and showcase the exhibition, which celebrates an important part of Donegal's social and cultural history.
The exhibition was researched, created and curated by the Culture Division of Donegal County Council in partnership with the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies. It draws together personal narratives, photographs, oral histories and artefacts from public repositories as well as material contributed by members of the community.
A key feature of the exhibition is its exploration of the wide variety of industries and workplaces in which Donegal emigrants found employment across Scotland. These include seasonal farm labour, transport, construction, hospitality, domestic service, teaching, healthcare and sport.
Interactive listening stations are part of the exhibition, allowing visitors to hear first-hand accounts from recorded interviews. These oral histories provide a powerful connection to the people behind the migration statistics, preserving memories of work, family, community and life in Scotland.
For many visitors, the exhibition also provides an opportunity to reconnect with their own family history. A complimentary illustrated booklet is available, providing historical context and profiles of emigrant occupations, while also offering space for visitors to record their own family's migration story.