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2fruition).
In Oirish families, love often skips a generation. Not that my parents don't love me--they do.
I'd say they're even pretty proud of me, despite the buggery thing. But as parents, it took a long time to not fret over what I did/did not do--and how it reflected on them. As parents.
Grandparents have no such worries, and can just love you. Such is the case with my Nana (pronounced Nanny). Who's led a remarkable life, worth telling here. Here's a photo of Nana with my Ma (who is Nana's daughter-in-law):
Had she be born later (than 1906) and in a different place (than Clonkela, near Tuam Galway in the west of Ireland), Nana'd certainly be a feminist. Certainly she's independent, strong and would never be subservient to a man. Ever. Were you to look at her passport, it would say her name is Anna Kathleen Egan...but her name at baptism was Anna Katerina Gibbons. Seems Nana's Mum was a bit of a character and loved to read. Apparently some romantic Russian literature led her to choose Katerina for her second daughter. How cool is that?
Kathleen had 2 older brothers (Christy and Seamus), an older sister (Eileen) a younger brother (Tom) and a younger sister (Bernadette). Their father owned his farm, making the Gibbonses affluent for rural Oirish folk: all of the Gibbons went to school and were literate. But Kathleen was the smart one. In the Tuam area, the Irish language largely died with the famine of the 1840s (an Gorta Mor, in Irish--the great hunger), and the lingua franca was English. But Kathleen not only took top marks in Irish at her school (their teacher, a native Irish speaker, was probably from the Connemara gaeltacht, about 70km West)--she achieved near fluency. By the age of 16, Kathleen excelled in all her compulsory subjects, and was encouraged by all to consider a career teaching. In 1922, the nascent Irish republic placed revitalizing Irish language and culture high in their agenda. Bilingual teachers were a rarity, and Kathleen would be able to work anywhere she pleased, once she passed the teachers exams
Had they not decided to add algebra and geometry to the compulsories, a mere 4 months before test day. Having never taken either subject, Kathleen was sure she'd fail--but the community rallied around her. The schoolmaster tutored her for free every evening (her parents fed him though). They worked hard, and everyone had faith in her. She was their best and brightest.
But she failed.
Though she was granted a provisional certificate, allowing her to teach for up to onel year in any school, but unable to accept a permanent position. So that's what she did: at age 16 she began wandering the rural parishes of Galway, teaching poor farmers' children. As one might expect, the parishes who couldn't secure permanent teachers were the poorest and worst resourced. It was often loathesome, unrewarding work: kids with no shoes, no lunch, unbathed and dressed in rags. But she wanted to teach, and as a commitment Nationalist, she wanted to help Young Ireland to be its best. For nearly 5 years Nana was the peripatetic pedagogue. Weeknights she boarded with a local family or the parish priest; weekends it was home to clan Gibbons, where her Da kept a strict house of work and prayer.
Especially with Kathleen, his clever and beautiful daughter: there would be no ceilidhs for Caitlín: no dances for Kathleen. And that was a grave mistake on his part. 5 years of working in dire conditions, only to come home and be forced to stay in, well Kathleen could take no more. After a terrible row with her Da, she decided to join her sister Eileen in America. Hearing this, Da tried to make amends, but her mind was set. So Kathleen sailed for New York, at age 22.
A single farm girl in a big city like NY can easily get into trouble. But not Nana: she found work (though she had no teaching credential, so it was office cleaning), she saved her money and, while she socialized in the Irish community in the Bronx, she didn't falll into the pattern of all night parties and carrying on that so many did. She laughed, she danced, she flirted. But kept her distance. 3 years after her arrival she met Patrick Egan, an Offaly man. They fell in love, got engaged and were wed. She was 25--very old by rural Irish standards to be wed. Patrick--Pop to us--was a year older, quite young for a man to wed. Within a year Ethna arrived, followed a year later by Padraic (my Da), then Una, Eileen, Kevin, Bernadette, Desmond and Brenda.
There are 21 years between Ethna and Brenda, both of whom now live with Nana. Ethna has severe type II diabetes, and moved into the flat above Nana's house 5 years ago. Brenda, who is now 53 and who has Down's syndrome (Nana was 44 when she had Brenda), has always lived at home. From the birth of her first child 70 years ago, Nana has been a full-time Mum throughout...she has never had an empty nest. Amazing, eh?
From her 8 kids, Nana had 18 grandkids, and about 25 great-grandkids. She lives in her own home, does most things for herself, and when the clatter of the extended brood gets up her nose she takes out her hearing aid and sticks her face in a book. And she still makes the best soda bread in the world
When I was born, Mum nearly died (ruptured uterus, 4 kids in 3.75 years). I went home to Nana and we bonded; she still calls me her 9th kid. We talk once a month or so, and she's still sharp as a tack--though less and less willing to suffer fools. I like to think I get my brains from her--she is one of the smartest people I've ever met. And one of the nicest.
I love you Nana!
2fruition).In Oirish families, love often skips a generation. Not that my parents don't love me--they do.
I'd say they're even pretty proud of me, despite the buggery thing. But as parents, it took a long time to not fret over what I did/did not do--and how it reflected on them. As parents.
Grandparents have no such worries, and can just love you. Such is the case with my Nana (pronounced Nanny). Who's led a remarkable life, worth telling here. Here's a photo of Nana with my Ma (who is Nana's daughter-in-law):
Had she be born later (than 1906) and in a different place (than Clonkela, near Tuam Galway in the west of Ireland), Nana'd certainly be a feminist. Certainly she's independent, strong and would never be subservient to a man. Ever. Were you to look at her passport, it would say her name is Anna Kathleen Egan...but her name at baptism was Anna Katerina Gibbons. Seems Nana's Mum was a bit of a character and loved to read. Apparently some romantic Russian literature led her to choose Katerina for her second daughter. How cool is that?
Kathleen had 2 older brothers (Christy and Seamus), an older sister (Eileen) a younger brother (Tom) and a younger sister (Bernadette). Their father owned his farm, making the Gibbonses affluent for rural Oirish folk: all of the Gibbons went to school and were literate. But Kathleen was the smart one. In the Tuam area, the Irish language largely died with the famine of the 1840s (an Gorta Mor, in Irish--the great hunger), and the lingua franca was English. But Kathleen not only took top marks in Irish at her school (their teacher, a native Irish speaker, was probably from the Connemara gaeltacht, about 70km West)--she achieved near fluency. By the age of 16, Kathleen excelled in all her compulsory subjects, and was encouraged by all to consider a career teaching. In 1922, the nascent Irish republic placed revitalizing Irish language and culture high in their agenda. Bilingual teachers were a rarity, and Kathleen would be able to work anywhere she pleased, once she passed the teachers exams
Had they not decided to add algebra and geometry to the compulsories, a mere 4 months before test day. Having never taken either subject, Kathleen was sure she'd fail--but the community rallied around her. The schoolmaster tutored her for free every evening (her parents fed him though). They worked hard, and everyone had faith in her. She was their best and brightest.
But she failed.
Though she was granted a provisional certificate, allowing her to teach for up to onel year in any school, but unable to accept a permanent position. So that's what she did: at age 16 she began wandering the rural parishes of Galway, teaching poor farmers' children. As one might expect, the parishes who couldn't secure permanent teachers were the poorest and worst resourced. It was often loathesome, unrewarding work: kids with no shoes, no lunch, unbathed and dressed in rags. But she wanted to teach, and as a commitment Nationalist, she wanted to help Young Ireland to be its best. For nearly 5 years Nana was the peripatetic pedagogue. Weeknights she boarded with a local family or the parish priest; weekends it was home to clan Gibbons, where her Da kept a strict house of work and prayer.
Especially with Kathleen, his clever and beautiful daughter: there would be no ceilidhs for Caitlín: no dances for Kathleen. And that was a grave mistake on his part. 5 years of working in dire conditions, only to come home and be forced to stay in, well Kathleen could take no more. After a terrible row with her Da, she decided to join her sister Eileen in America. Hearing this, Da tried to make amends, but her mind was set. So Kathleen sailed for New York, at age 22.
A single farm girl in a big city like NY can easily get into trouble. But not Nana: she found work (though she had no teaching credential, so it was office cleaning), she saved her money and, while she socialized in the Irish community in the Bronx, she didn't falll into the pattern of all night parties and carrying on that so many did. She laughed, she danced, she flirted. But kept her distance. 3 years after her arrival she met Patrick Egan, an Offaly man. They fell in love, got engaged and were wed. She was 25--very old by rural Irish standards to be wed. Patrick--Pop to us--was a year older, quite young for a man to wed. Within a year Ethna arrived, followed a year later by Padraic (my Da), then Una, Eileen, Kevin, Bernadette, Desmond and Brenda.
There are 21 years between Ethna and Brenda, both of whom now live with Nana. Ethna has severe type II diabetes, and moved into the flat above Nana's house 5 years ago. Brenda, who is now 53 and who has Down's syndrome (Nana was 44 when she had Brenda), has always lived at home. From the birth of her first child 70 years ago, Nana has been a full-time Mum throughout...she has never had an empty nest. Amazing, eh?
From her 8 kids, Nana had 18 grandkids, and about 25 great-grandkids. She lives in her own home, does most things for herself, and when the clatter of the extended brood gets up her nose she takes out her hearing aid and sticks her face in a book. And she still makes the best soda bread in the world
When I was born, Mum nearly died (ruptured uterus, 4 kids in 3.75 years). I went home to Nana and we bonded; she still calls me her 9th kid. We talk once a month or so, and she's still sharp as a tack--though less and less willing to suffer fools. I like to think I get my brains from her--she is one of the smartest people I've ever met. And one of the nicest.
I love you Nana!
no subject
Date: 2003-08-10 06:59 pm (UTC)