Farewell and travel well, Mum.. and you’ll have got to your destination straightaway seeing I’m not navigating you.
I’ve had a lifetime of trips to her homestead of Co. Donegal.
Starting from when I was still waiting to come a-blinking out into the world.
When she would take the ferry from Glasgow to Derry, the nearest town to her hamlet of Brockagh.
Easter arising
She would regale us in later life of how she wouldn’t sleep for weeks ahead at the prospect of getting back to see her family.
And then when she would take me over to Brockagh at Easters.
When my brothers would stay at home with my Dad to study.
And then when I had relocated for my 13 years in Ireland when I’d take her up on an annual trip from Greystones in Co. Wicklow.
A trip through the ages in Ireland
There were many adventures along the way with me, my brothers, Dad and a swathe of Irish family.
And there was double trouble the year we took her wee sister Ronnie with us with me driving her automatic sports stars.
Of course, no quicker were we out of the driveway than my Mum started pressing random buttons on the dashboard.
Avoiding the temptation to look out at every house and field along the way the real drama started around the border.
When Teasy gave up the cry: ‘We’re in Bandit Country, Ronnie, tell him Ronnie.’
All along the border
By the time we’d got past Monaghan and their country roads we were back on track and the gabby grannies were back in full voice.
And pointing out the various villages and who they knew who had lived there and passed through their lives.
There would be other journeys and stories, to our American family in New York and around Britain and to Europe.
While she enthralled everyone she met on her travels around the world with my Dear Old Dad after they had empty-nested.
Rest easy, Teasy
But we’ll take that final journey to the family plot in Brockagh, Co. Donegal.
And should I hear an echo of a familiar Irish voice in the car then I’ll just do what I did then and turn the radio up.
Farewell and travel well, Mum.
Teasy McNulty Murty (1928-2023), the last of the McNultys of Brockagh, Co. Donegal.