srl thar lear / srl abroad

Barney Ó Gallchóir in Chicago

Tháinig Barney Ó Gallchóir ar an tsaol i Chicago i 1929. Ba de bhunadh Arainn Mhóir a mhuintir agus bhí a athair ar obair ar na foirgnimh mhóra mar a bhí chuid mhór Éireannach eile ag am am.

Watch Barney in Chicago

Nuair a bhí Barney thart ar trí bliana d’aois thug a mháthair é féin agus na páistí eile chun an bhaile go hÉirinn. D’fhan an t-athair i mbun a chuid oibre. Le linn don teaghlach a bheith in Éirinn, gortaíodh an t-athair go dona i dtimpiste oibre. Bhuail sé píopa gáis le linn dó a bheith ag tochailt i bpoll domhain agus dódh go holc é sa phleascán. D’fhág an timpiste an teaghlach in Éirinn, áit ar fhas Barney aníos mar chainteoir dúchais ar oileán Arainn Mhór.

Fuair Barney scolaireacht chuig ollscoil na Gaillimhe – ba é an chéad duine ón oileán a d’fhreastail ar choláiste tríú léibhéal – agus fuair sé oiliúint mar innealltóir. D’obair sé roinnt blianta in Éirinn go dtí gur éirigh an obair gann agus thug se a aghaidh arís ar an choigrích.

I ndiaidh dó tamall a chaitheamh i gCeanada, phill Barney ar Chicago, áit a raibh ceathraru uncail dá chuid, agus bheartaigh sé fanacht ansin. Breis agus caoga bliain ó shocair sé ann, bhuail Michelle leis. Chuaigh siad beirt ar thuras báid ar Loch Michigan agus radharc galánta acu ar fhoirgnimh arda na cathrach gaothaí. Bí leo arís ar an turas stairiúil, turas pearsanta Barney siar go dtí a óige.

English version

Born in 1929 in Chicago where his parents had moved from Arranmore Island in Donegal, Barney Gallagher was three years old when his mother decided to return to Ireland with her children. His father remained in Chicago but it was during this time that he was badly injured in an accident at work and it was for this reason that the family remained at home and grew up on Arranmore Island.

Barney was awarded a scholarship to attend Galway University – the first person from the Island to reach third level education – and he qualified as an engineer.
He worked at home for a few years but when work became scarce, like his father before him he looked across the sea to America.

Having spent some time in Canada, Barney returned to Chicago “The Windy City” where he still had some relations and settled there. SRL meets Barney fifty years on and as he takes a boat trip on Lake Michigan with Michelle, we take a trip with Barney back to his youth.