1964: Life in DONEGAL | Tonight | Voice of the People | BBC Archive
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Published 2022-09-08
With paid work in the county in short supply, the men of Donegal are forced to leave home for months of the year to earn a living, leaving the women to work the fields and raise the children alone. It's certainly tough going, but how do the women of Donegal feel about their lot in life?
This clip is from Tonight, originally broadcast 20 March, 1964
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All Comments (21)
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My father left Donegal in 1958 to work in Birmingham, UK and returned to Donegal in 1969. I left Donegal in 1986 to work and live in Birmingham and have been here since. Donegal to this day still, the young people are emigrating all over the world. A beautiful place but sadly not much there for the youth.
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My grandfather was a Donegal man who moved to England after the war. He was brought up working on a rain soaked wind swept small farm. This was a fascinating insight into that world. Bravo.
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It’s important to note that for all of the adults, particularly the older lady, English will be their second language. Arranmore (Árainn Mhór) is still an Irish (“Gaelic”) speaking area.
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These are fantastic historical windows into Ireland. I went to the village of Errigal in 1974 and lived with a young family in the Gaeltacht . It was the best time of my life !! I came from Andersonstown West Belfast. My people were from Donegal originally. The mountain in the background of the last scene is Mount Errigal. They are the salt of the Earth.
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My Grandad was from Donegal. William Byers 1926 - 1996
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My mum was from Donegal, loved every day I spent there, what a crowd of absolute grafters, great people.
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"We come from county Donegal where we eat our potatoes skin and all." ... said by my great grandfather in America.
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Hard working , God fearing , beautiful people that made Ireland great
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My Grandparents, Michael Doherty and Sabina O'Keefe were born there about 1890.. ish. It must be beautiful.
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Donegal is the most stunning part of the country .I worked in Donegal for two years and simlpy loved it. The people are hard working and very proud of where they come from. Kind and very much family focused . Love them all . 👍👍👍
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Respect to those people ,living in hard conditions,never sworing ,only working👍🇱🇺
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That is EXACTLY the spot where my DNA was traced to. Exactly. I did (2) DNA tests and they both said the same. My family emigrated to the United States with the last name “Rathbone”, now “Rathbun”. Wow. Absolutely incredible to see this. Thank you!
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ive worked with many a man from there in central london digging small tunnels (headings) funny old bunch, hard workers and hard drinkers, quiet but with good wit, decent blokes
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Makes me proud of my Irish heritage.
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Went to our family farm in mountcharles every year as a kid, I adored it. Went back recently and was pretty sad at the changes. No pubs on the main street when there used to be at least 10, and few people about. Very expensive villas dotted around. Our farm was demolished to make way for the New motorway between donegal and leterkenny, bitterly disappointing.
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Through fear of missing out I feel I should moan like hell about this video like everyone else is but to be honest I just sat and enjoyed it for what it was.
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All the houses are warm, tidy and well kept. Love those tough hardy ladies. What's not shown is the fathers in the UK seeing signs in boarding houses and Pubs saying 'no Irish'.
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My Dad came from Killybegs in Donegal nearly the end of the Ww11 and worked on the land in east sussex where he Met my mum who was in the land army they got married and moved to Brighton East Sussex where they stayed till the both died.♥️ Our surname was Dowds.
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Wonderful people 💖
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Bless Ireland ❤️ any Quinn’s out there?
