Emigrating from Ireland to the UK
Posted on 15th February 2013 at 10:19
The McCrory Family left Sultin, Co. Tyrone in the early 1960s to emigrate to the UK.
From our home in the mountains, with no electricity, and a spring well for water, we found ourselves in the town of Darlington Co. Durham after an overnight ferry from Belfast to Liverpool.
I was Eleven years old and the oldest boy.
And if in any doubt about the fact that we were newly arrived from Ireland, it would easily stand out, that three of the eight of us had red hair, and our names may have been a bit of a giveaway too, incl. Annie Josephine, Pacai, (myself) Sean, Bridget, Kathleen, Mary Francis and Finian.
It was quite a culture shock for us, having to get used to seeing Double Deck buses, Trains, Electric Lights and appliances, and crowds of people driving around in cars.
Three of my siblings have returned to Ireland to live, in Co Tyrone, and Sean has settled in Co. Donegal. And a Ninth child, Michael, stayed on in Ireland, where he had been brought up by his grandparents in Broughderg, and he still lives near the old home place
The rest are still living in the Darlington, and North East area of England.
I am the only one of that McCrory family to have settled in Nottingham.
And I have spent most of my working life helping people to emigrate to england from Ireland and in recent years, also to take people home to Ireland too.
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