Mary Geaney, Melbourne via Clare
I come across some great stories on my travels about Irish folk abroad but this one is a little bit different.
It is not the fairly common tale nowadays about the vibrancy and enthusiasm of new Irish establishing Gaelic games in places where you would have least expected it. No, this story goes back more than sixty years to the days when leaving Ireland for Australia usually meant no going back.
Mary Geaney from Clarecastle in County Clare said goodbye to her family and travelled to the land of Oz in 1954 and did not return to Ireland for a full thirty years.
"Its not like today where you can go home every twelve months" says Mary. "You just did not think about going back, it was a one-way ticket".
PRESIDENT
The Clare girl became heavily involved in the GAA scene in Melbourne, helping to raise funds for the marvellous facility that is now Gaelic Park and serving in every capacity including President. The Senior hurling trophy is named after her late husband Jim Geaney.
All the while, Mary led a busy life raising eight children and tried not to think too much about home where a new sister had been born shortly after Mary had departed for the other side of the world. There was no Facebook or Skype available to them in those days, so the sisters never saw one another.
THE LATE LATE SHOW
Some nineteen years later, The Late Late Show on RTE heard about the Geaneys and arranged secretly for her sister to be flown to Australia to meet her. The cameras were set up in her home on the pretence of interviewing Mary about the hotel business.
"The doorbell went and this girl walked in. I did not have a clue at first, I was stupid. I had seen photos but it took me a while. It was unbelievable, very emotional and really lovely."
After the reunion, Mary finally went back to visit her family in Ireland and now speaks to her sister on the phone every week. She has still only had three trips home in sixty years but speaking to me at the 2014 Australasia Championships in Melbourne, Mary said she has no complaints.
"I have had a great life. I have always loved supporting the GAA and it is wonderful to see the biggest ever Australasia Championships here this week".
VIDEO PROGRAMME
Mary will feature on an upcoming video documentary programme from the 2014 Championships, sponsored by ONeills who now have a representative based in Australia (Antoinette Brophy). The programme will show match action and interviews from all codes and competitions, and it will look ahead to the 2015 Championships in Wellington, New Zealand.
Video
- Creggan 2015 (16)
- Global GAA (27)
- St Paul's 2014/15 (98)
- Omagh/Slaughtneil (10)
- Paul McGirr (31)
- St Mungo's Luganulk (18)
- Ladies Football 2014 (83)
- 2014 NACB Finals (8)
- 2013 Asian Gaelic Games in KL (10)
- Creggan 2013/14 (20)
- Funnies (20)
- European GAA (8)
- CYC (13)
- USA Top 5 Videos (1)
- USA GAA (26)
- Ulster U-21s (11)
- 2012 BT MacRory Cup (40)
- 2012 Fitzgibbon Cup (13)
- Ottawa Gaels (4)
- Camogie 2013 (24)
- New York 2014 (4)
- Overseas GAA 2013 (3)
- Sigerson 2012 (31)
- Antrim Clubs 2009/10 (6)
- Antrim Clubs 2011 (38)
- Antrim County (9)
- Armagh County (4)
- Armagh Clubs (16)
- Australia - Brisbane (6)
- Australia - Melbourne (10)
- Australia - Sydney (11)
- Australia - What's Your Story? (8)
- Awards (4)
- Bredagh (24)
- Camogie Championship 2011 (18)
- Camogie Fun & Features (15)
- Camogie League 2011 (15)
- Cavan (4)
- Clubs (5)
- Cumann na Bunscoil (3)
- Derry Clubs (28)
- Donegal County (17)
- Donegal SFC 2011 (7)
- Down Clubs (18)
- Dublin County (9)
- Dublin SFC 2010/11 (16)
- Features (68)
- Fermanagh (9)
- Fitzgibbon Cup 2011 (17)
- Hurling (22)
- Inter-County (36)
- Jerome's Top 10 (9)
- Ladies Football (15)
- MacRory Cup 2011 (23)
- McKenna Cup (12)
- Munster (4)
- Non GAA (27)
- Queen's (10)
- Sigerson Cup 2011 (30)
- St Paul's Ulster Minor 2010/11 (78)
- Tyrone County (19)
- Tyrone IFC/JFC (14)
- Tyrone League 2011 (7)
- Tyrone SFC 2009 (8)
- Tyrone SFC 2010 (18)
- Tyrone SFC 2011 (33)
- Ulster Colleges (32)
- Ulster Colleges Features (9)
- Ulster Colleges Football (8)
- Ulster Colleges Hurling (3)
- Ulster Under-21 (7)
- Ulster Minors (2)
- UUJ (12)
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