Do you have a friend or family member from Galway city or county who is now living and working overseas? Or are you a former Galway native reading this from your adopted home abroad? If so, Dúchas na Gailllimhe – Galway Civic Trust wants to hear from you. The heritage organisation is launching an initiative entitled The Galway Tribal Diaspora Project which aims to collect and record the stories of former Galway residents who have gone on to carve out careers or life stories beyond Irish shores.
Project co-ordinator Michael Quinn explains the concept behind the initiative. “The Galway Tribal Diaspora Project seeks to compile pen-portraits of people who previously lived in Galway but have who have moved away from Ireland in order to establish new lives, careers, or opportunities. For centuries Galway people have emigrated to locations all around the world for a variety of reasons, and for many of those their personal stories have been lost. This exciting new venture gives us the opportunity to redress that by connecting with our diaspora and recording their unique stories and experiences.’’
Mr Quinn says the project will form the basis of an on-line exhibition and will hopefully chart and celebrate the broad range of global locations in which the Galway diaspora live and work. “From Beijing to Buenos Aires, we want ex-Galway residents from all walks of life to contact us from wherever they are in the world and share their stories with us for the benefit of present and future generations. Stories are already starting to be sent in to us, and these can be seen on our website.”
If you, or anyone you know, fits the tribal diaspora bill, visit www.galwaytribaldiaspora.ie, e-mail [email protected], find the organisation on Facebook at tribaldiaspora, or contact Michael Quinn on 091-564946 / 087 6466 625.
