23rd
March, 2013
Dear
Ms. Bowles,
As
a mother, I am writing this letter to you to let you know the affect emigration
has had on me and on thousands of mothers like me.
In
2012, 75,000 people left the country and my eldest daughter was one of them. Katie
left in September 2012 with a third-level qualification. Her leaving was devastating
and left a huge void not only in our lives but in the lives of her siblings,
her grandparents and her friends. As we drove to the airport she became very
upset at the prospect of maybe not seeing her elderly grandparents again.
I
live in a small fishing village on the south-west coast of Ireland. I cannot
describe to you the affects emigration is having. A whole generation have gone,
the life and soul of our community, and our community is just one. Thousands
have emigrated from every village, town and city in Ireland. Our niece has
already gone to England, our nephew too gone to Australia since June. Máiréid my
second-eldest daughter who graduated last October, is emigrating to Australia
in July. Although excited at the prospect of seeing her sister, she is already
lonesome and dreading leaving her two younger brothers.
Emigration
has always been a significant part of Ireland’s history but what makes this
exodus different is that our country is bankrupt and will be for generations to
come, leaving those who have left and those who have been left behind with no
hope. When all hope is gone all you are left with is despair.
I
will finish my letter to you by just telling you of my last thoughts as I lay
in bed at night. Before I close my eyes Katie is in my thoughts but so too is Máiréid
and her imminent departure. I think of our two sons and a wave of sadness
envelopes me. I know someday chances are their Dad and I will be left sitting
in our family home, a home that was full of life and happiness, staring into a
computer while we Skype the most important people in our lives, our children.
Yours
sincerely,
Breda
Co. Kerry.
