‘Mayo’s Forgotten Famine Girls’ launches in Castlebar and Ballina

Michael Duffy

MAYO’S Forgotten Famine Girls, the latest book by Terry Reilly, will be officially launched in Castlebar and Ballina this week.
The book, which runs to 360 pages, is an extraordinary piece of research and is the end result of a labour of love that has been 20 years in the making.
This the story of the 137 orphan girls from Mayo who overcame great challenges to leave their mark on the other side of the world. It follows their road in life from the famine of the late 1840s to the workhouse, to a ship for Australia, their first impressions, work experiences, good and bad, and all that was to follow.
It centres on the years 1848-1850 and represents an amazing devotion by Terry Reilly to resurrect their lost story and reunite this generation with one of the most seminal times in the history of the island of Ireland and its impact on the world that has resonated down through the years.
Terry, a former long-serving editor of the Western People, made a number of trips to Australia where he unearthed some wonderful stories of the bravery and resilience of the people who left a near desolate land for a new life faraway.
Trevor McClaughlin, Australian historian and author, says about Terry’s new book: “A lifetime’s labour of love that is so compelling you can relive the young women’s sadness, and their dreams.”
Castlebar Library hosts the first launch of Mayo’s Forgotten Famine Girls on Thursday night, October 26, at 8pm when Gerry Glennon from Mid West Radio will do the honours. Michael Commins from The Mayo News will preside at the launch in Ballina Library on Friday night, also at 8pm.
All are welcome.