I found out at 13, when my parents divorced, that the man I called 'Dad' was not my father, and that my bio father was my Mum's Irish teenage boyfriend; both Catholics, it had brought great shame on their London families. I never met him, nor have I seen a photograph of him. In my fifties, I met an Englishman living in West Cork and moved from London to be with him. I later discovered, through a DNA test, that most of my DNA is from Cork. It seems I have returned home and, 8 years later, I'm learning to know the land in the way that I longed to know my Irish family. Who are your people?, they ask, when they see my Irish eyes. 'The land knows me,' is my answer. And she does.
Lovely post Katrice ☘️Manchan was such a beautiful inspiration to so many and I think will always continue to be remembered as such.
I also had a complex childhood growing up in London in an Irish family who had escaped the troubles - that never made much sense to me as a child, but there you go. I moved to where I consider home, to West Cork in 1989 and never looked back.
This is beautiful katrice...I thought I knew you...does anyone know anyone. This elegant piece adds in some more layers of you...you are so multi layered, aren't we all? There is poetry throughout your life...poems are all of it, the shit, the twinkle, the depths, the highs the lows...the lot.
Indeed as we come out of samhain and descend into the beauty of the darkness ...it's all deaths and births and just maybe that belonging to the poetic land of your ancestry is starting to sprout with writings like these. And yes we reach for our mentors to assist like the brilliant Manchan who so brilliantly weaves poetry land and spirit.
You are Katrice and I certainly, along with the many you have touched, see you as a willing wildling, like us all striving for knowing...self, others, time and our soul. 🙏
I found out at 13, when my parents divorced, that the man I called 'Dad' was not my father, and that my bio father was my Mum's Irish teenage boyfriend; both Catholics, it had brought great shame on their London families. I never met him, nor have I seen a photograph of him. In my fifties, I met an Englishman living in West Cork and moved from London to be with him. I later discovered, through a DNA test, that most of my DNA is from Cork. It seems I have returned home and, 8 years later, I'm learning to know the land in the way that I longed to know my Irish family. Who are your people?, they ask, when they see my Irish eyes. 'The land knows me,' is my answer. And she does.
Loved this!!
Most delightful
Beautiful writing and powerful and thoughtful words.
Thanks Polly. It is a strange hunger I have for it all.
Lovely post Katrice ☘️Manchan was such a beautiful inspiration to so many and I think will always continue to be remembered as such.
I also had a complex childhood growing up in London in an Irish family who had escaped the troubles - that never made much sense to me as a child, but there you go. I moved to where I consider home, to West Cork in 1989 and never looked back.
Why not now? Is it not as good a time as any xx
Such a moving piece . Grá nor, mo anam cara x x
This is beautiful katrice...I thought I knew you...does anyone know anyone. This elegant piece adds in some more layers of you...you are so multi layered, aren't we all? There is poetry throughout your life...poems are all of it, the shit, the twinkle, the depths, the highs the lows...the lot.
Indeed as we come out of samhain and descend into the beauty of the darkness ...it's all deaths and births and just maybe that belonging to the poetic land of your ancestry is starting to sprout with writings like these. And yes we reach for our mentors to assist like the brilliant Manchan who so brilliantly weaves poetry land and spirit.
You are Katrice and I certainly, along with the many you have touched, see you as a willing wildling, like us all striving for knowing...self, others, time and our soul. 🙏
Thanks so much for these lovely lovely words Jon.