The Road to Ballyshannon

My father never told stories of his mother, only my mother told the stories of Catherine, not my mother-in-law, or your grandmother, but always “Catherine”. Was it the mass card from Catherine’s funeral tucked in my mother’s missal? Is that where I first saw her name and date of death, May 12, 1953? Is that where I first had an inkling there was someone connected to me? The stories stayed with me, and her bravery to leave her home and start her life in America, was some kind of inspiration. That spirit of travel, leave home, gave me strength to move in my adult life. I believe she never let me rest until I sought Irish citizenship in 2022, obtained my Irish Passport, and made arrangements to stay in her home village in Summer 2024. This is my story of this journey.