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Introduction 3DonegalinHistory 4FromtheMiddleAgestillnow 5AnEarlyVisitorfromDonegal 7OtherpeopleinScotland 8ThingstoDo–thejourneytoInverness 9ColumbameetsBridei 10WhocameuptheClydeonabike? 11Historyorlegend? 12Goandmakealifeforyourself 13TheOldPlaces 15TheSpecialConnection 16Whocameforwhat? 17Whyareyouleaving? 18TheWorkwashard 19AjobIfancy/don’tfancy 20Debate 21Remembering 22MigrantWorkers 23OverbyinGlasgow 24OldTenementHouse 25

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Doyouremember? 26Abigdifference 27Wedonotwanttogo 28Traditionalstories 29ThePlaisham 30Samebutdifferent 31Moreofthesamebutdifferent 32SadStories 33HaveyougottheGaelic 34Roots 35IrishConnections 36Keepingthelanguagealive 37Languagechart 38MyLanguage 39CometoDonegal 40Backtoyourroots 41GeographyofDonegal 42DreamHoliday 43Music,SongandDance 46IrishDance 47SentimentalMusic 48

InTRODuCTIOnThe Donegal Project is a beautifully presented, carefully resourced and inspired tool for teachers to use in the context of Curriculum for Excellence, with upper Primary classes. It has been developed by Glasgow Storytellers in response to Glasgow’s rich and diverse history which has brought people from different parts of the world to the city to live and work and make it their home. This theme of migration continues today, and makes Glasgow a lively and interesting place to be. The Donegal project will enable pupils to discover part of Glasgow’s story for themselves and perhaps trace some of their own connections with the area. It could also provide a template for further exploration to discover what it was and is that has brought people to live in Glasgow from Eastern Europe, Italy, Hong Kong, the Punjab and other areas of the world.

Active learning provides an excellent framework for children’s learning, and this project will engage children in working in groups, in pairs, as a class, or individually, and in a range of different and stimulating tasks. It easily covers a wide range of Stage 2 Learning Experiences and Outcomes over many curricular areas. Although the learning intentions may seem to be mainly based on Social studies and Language intentions, there are a range of activities from other areas of the curriculum within the material.

Teachers will also be able to involve classes in experiences other than those selected here, as their children explore the history of the immigration from Donegal to Glasgow, and the events that still have an impact on the lives of Glasgow folk, and should never be forgotten. What about some Irish music/ dancing, for example?

The project will also take learners out of the classroom, not only physically, but, emotionally, and historically. It will bring Donegal into the classroom, in the form of voices, stories, pictures, maps, and people. It will give children a model for discussing the migration of other communities to ours, and an opportunity to focus on the responses and responsibilities of a welcoming society.

usingtheprojectcouldnotbesimpler.

• TeacherswillfindtheuseofIWBinvaluable,when groups (class group and smaller) can read, discuss and study ideas together, or follow instructionsforaspecifictask.

• Material can be downloaded and printed, if groups are to work on different tasks.

• Individuals/pairs can research straight from the project website at any time

• Children can prepare quotations for reading at home from photocopied sheets

• Teachers can take account of CfE codes for Learning Experiences and Outcomes already identified,andthespreadsheetcanbeadaptedand /or highlighted for forward planning purposes.

Glasgow Storytellers would like to thank Liam Stewart for researching and writing this inspiring document; Scott Wallace for excellent design and layout; and Morag Paul for curriculum links and invaluable suggestions.

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DOnEGALinHISTORYThere are many citizens of Glasgow who have Irish ancestry. 70% of them can trace it back to Donegal

Donegal is one of the nine counties of the ancient Irish province of Ulster. The others are Cavan and Monaghan, which are part of modern Ireland, and the six counties (Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone) which form Northern Ireland.

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FROMTHEMIDDLEAGESTILLnOW• For many centuries, large parts of Ireland were

conquered by its more powerful neighbour, England. From the sixteenth century, when Europe became a battleground between Catholic and Protestant Powers, Ireland attracted even more attention.

• In 1603, the Scottish and English crowns were united under James VI. The United Kingdom was Protestant; Ireland remained a Catholic country. James wanted more control over the Irish to prevent them making alliances with France or Spain. Especially important was Ulster, a stronghold of Irish culture.

• In the 1611 James authorised a new takeover in Ulster. Landowners, mostly from lowland Scotland, were encouraged to take over large partsofUlster.Theyconfiscatedtheland,evicted the local people and installed their own tenants from Scotland in the farms and crofts.

• These invasions were known as the Ulster Plantations. Descendants of these Scottish settlers still form communities in several places in Northen Ireland, Notably in Eastern Donegal around the Laggan Valley.

• There now existed in Ireland a bitter division between two groups of people, one Gaelic-speaking and Catholic, the other English speaking and Protestant.

• All over Ireland, landowners were English or under English domination. Under Oliver Cromwell, any who still resisted were ruthlessly crushed. In 1798, an Irish rebellion was put down, with much bloodshed. Then in 1801, the Irish Parliament was abolished and Ireland was ruled entirely from London.

• Conquered Ireland never prospered. Unlike Scotland, Ireland was not allowed to trade with the English colonies and so build up its own industry. It remained rural and poor.

• Ireland had lost its independence and in the United Kingdom, they weren’t allowed to vote ortoholdpublicofficeortoattenduniversity.Throughout the nineteenth century, all these things were fought for.

• It came to war between England and Ireland, oftenaverybrutalwar,andfinallyin1921,Irelandregainedindependence.Butitwasnotthe whole of Ireland. Part of Ulster, the six counties where Protestants were in greatest number, resisted the struggle for independence. They stood apart from independent Ireland and formed the part of the United Kingdom called Northern Ireland.

• Throughout this history, and since, the connection between Ulster, especially Donegal, and Glasgow has been very strong.

DiggingDeeper

FInDOuTMOREABOuT• The ancient Irish Provinces• King James VI and the Ulster Plantations• Wolfe Tone and the rebellion of 1798• The Partition of Ireland

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AnEARLYVISITORFROMDOnEGAL

SaintColumba(ColumCille,doveofthechurch)

BythetimeColumbamadehisfamousvoyagefrom Ireland to Iona in 563, it is said that an area of Scotland was already settled by Irish people. They were known as the Scoti, and their territory, roughly modern Argyll, was called Dal Riata. Some people say the Scoti came across gradually for a centuryormore,andtradedandsettled.ButthestorygoesthatduringthefifthcenturyCEKingFergus Mor Mac Erc landed with an invading army and founded the kingdom of Dal Riata.

• Columba was born in Gartan, Donegal in 521, of royal descent, the great, great grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages.

• He studied at Clonard Abbey, a great centre of Christian learning and became a monk and was ordained as a priest. Columba became one of the famous Twelve Apostles of Clonard.

• It is said that in Ireland he founded several monasteries, which at the time, as well as being places of learning, were also the centres where the beautiful Celtic illuminated manuscripts were produced.

• Columba means ‘peace’, but back home in Ireland, Columba was known for his hot temper. After being involved in a battle in which the son of King Diarmit was killed, he was nearly excommunicated from the church.

• Instead, he was sent into exile. As a penance, he had to convert as many people to Christianity as he had killed in battle.

• In 563, he arrived in Iona and founded the monastery, which to this day, remains a place of pilgrimage. Iona became a centre for missionaries, many churches being founded by its monks.

• Columba himself is said to have travelled to Inverness, the heart of the Pictish kingdom, in a missiontoconvertKingBrideitoChristianity.

• On his way to Inverness, legend says he encountered a monster which dwelt in a Scottish loch.

• While in Iona, he still got involved in politics. HeusedhisinfluencetohaveAidan,hisfavoured candidate, crowned King of Dal Riata.

• Columba died in Iona in 597 – one Donegal traveller who never went home.

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OTHERPEOPLEInSCOTLAnDIn the century before Columba arrived in Iona, the peoples in modern Scotland, England, and Wales were:ThePicts-TheBritons-TheScots. Just leaving were The Romans. Just arriving on the East coast were Germanic tribes, The Jutes, Angles and Saxons – for short, The Anglo-SaxonsTheRomanshadoccupiedthelandoftheBritonsfor three hundred years, but had never managed toconquerthePicts.By400,troublewasspringing up everywhere in the Roman Empire. InBritannia,totheNorthofHadrian’sWall,now it wasn’t just the Picts who gave the Romans nightmares. The Scoti were sailing in from Ireland. In 410-415, theRomansabandonedBritannia,nevertoreturn.TheBritonshadgainedtheirfreedom.Butnowtheisland had new occupiers: the Scots to the North and, invading from the south and east, The Anglo-Saxons.

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AnGLESSAXOnSJuTES

ROMAnS

PICTS

SCOTS

BRITOnS

THInGSTODOTHEJOuRnEYTOInVERnESS

DiaryIndividual

Imagine Columba and his companions have reachedBalbegontheshoresofLochNess,halfway up the Great Glen to Inverness. They are all knackeredandsoarethedonkeys.Beforethehikeacross Scotland, they had to row Iona to Mull, walk across Mull and then row to Oban It has already taken them 12 days. Imagine Columba writes up his diary (or his blog if it had been invented) that night, summing up the journey so far. Write in an ordinary, conversational way.

Whathasitfeltlike? The forests and rough country .... the up and down tracks .... the weather .... the midges .... making camp at night .... the cold .... the loads they are carrying .... the parts of their body that are suffering .... the state of their shoes and clothes ....

Whathavetheyseenandheardandsmelt?Picts in the trees? .... animals? (some big ones, some wild ones) .... smoke ....

Whatfoodaretheylivingon?What have they brought with them? .... what food anddrinkaretheyfindingontheway?....howeasy is it to cook?

Whatishethinkingabout?Whatishismood?Are they going the right way ? .... should he keep going? .... fear? .... of what ? .... hopes?.... his worries about the others? .... Is he a good leader?

Andmaybe,ifyoulike,heiswritingafterhehadthisexperience–

ON another occasion also, when the blessed man was living for some days in the province of the Picts, he was obliged to cross the river Nesa (the Ness); and when he reached the bank of the river, he saw some of the inhabitants burying an unfortunate man, who, according to the account of those who were burying him, was a short time before seized, as he was swimming, and bitten most severely by a monster that lived in the water; his wretched body was, though too late, taken out with a hook, by those who came to his assistance in a boat. The blessed man, on hearing this, was so far from being dismayed, that he directed one of his companions to swim over and row across the coble that was moored at the farther bank. And Lugne Mocumin hearing the command of the excellent man, obeyed without the least delay, taking off all his clothes, except his tunic, and leaping into the water.Butthemonster,which,sofarfrombeingsatiated, was only roused for more prey, was lying at the bottom of the stream, and when it felt the water disturbed above by the man swimming, suddenly rushed out, and, giving an awful roar, darted after him, with its mouth wide open, as the man swam in the middle of the stream.

Then the blessed man observing this, raised his holy hand, while all the rest, brethren as well as strangers,werestupefiedwithterror,and,invokingthe name of God, formed the saving sign of the cross in the air, and commanded the ferocious monster, saying, ‘Thou shalt go no further, nor touch the man; go back with all speed.’ Then at thevoiceofthesaint,themonsterwasterrified,andfledmorequicklythanifithadbeenpulledback with ropes, though it had just got so near to Lugne, as he swam, that there was not more than the length of a spear-staff between the man and the beast. Then the brethren seeing that the monster had gone back, and that their comrade Lugne returned to them in the boat safe and sound, were struck with admiration, and gave glory to God in the blessed man. And even the barbarous heathens, who were present, were forced by the greatness of this miracle, which they themselves had seen, to magnify the God of the Christians. (Life of St Columba by Adamnan)

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COLuMBAMEETSBRIDEI

RolePlayGroupsoffourFour Characters: Columba, Fergus (another monk), KingBridei,QueenGruoch

Spend some time talking over the scenes before starting the role play.

The three scenes are for improvising. Just be the characters and say what comes to your mind.

• SCEnE1 Columbus and Fergus arrive at the palace

worn out after their journey. While they are waitingtoseeKingBridei,theytrytoagreewhattheywillsaytotrytoconverthim.Brideiis a Polytheist. He believes in a lot of different gods. What can they say they think is wrong with that? What can they say is good about having one God. And why the Christian God? Remember, Columba might be willing to use any argument he can come up with – he’s got to achieveacertainnumberofconversions.ButFergus might not be so sure.

• SCEnE2 BrideiandQueenGruocharehavingadiscussion before they meet Columba and Fergus. Imagine Gruoch is quite open to new idea. She quite liked the last Christian missionary – the one who came from the Britons.ButBrideilikeshavingallhisdifferentgods.Hegoesoverhisarguments.But...heknows that the Picts could end up being the last non-Christians. Maybe he thinks the Scots would be good allies –especially if the Romans camebackagain.MaybeBrideihasheardthatColumba was no angel when he was back in Ireland.

• SCEnE3 The meeting between the four people. Let it goanywayyouwant.MaybeBrideitriestopersuade Columba and Fergus to take up Poly theism. Maybe Columba and Fergus react differently.MaybeBrideiandhiswifehaveadisagreement in the middle of the argument. Let the sceneend whatever way you want.

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WHOCAMEuPTHECLYDEOnABIKE?

QuizIndividual

1WhyweretheseGaelscalledtheScoti?

A The Picts gave them this name because Scott seemed to be a common name among them, just like Jimmy later among Glaswegians.

BBecausetheirroyalfamilyhadweedogstheyused for rat catching, and they called these dogs Scotties.

CTheBritonsgavethemthisnamebecausethearea where they established their kingdom was dense with trees called scots pines.

D It’s the name the Romans used. It seems to have meant ‘raiders’ or ‘pirates’.

2HowdowehaveallourinformationaboutColumba?

ABeforeKingDiarmit’ssonwaskilledinthebattle, he was Columba’s friend, and he wrote the story of his life.

B Recent excavation round his grave has uncovered an old cassette recording made by Columba and his disciples. It is the only recording we have of Columba’s voice.

C A Life of St Columba was written by Adamnan (627 -702), the eighth abbot of Iona.

D It comes to people in their dreams after they visit Iona.

3ApartfromGaelic,whatotherlanguagemightColumbahavespoken?

A Spanish, because he was related to Christopher Columbus who sailed from Spain in 1492 and discovered America.

B Glaswegian, because Glasgow was the nearest big town to Iona.

C Latin, because that was the language of the church.

D Swahili, because that is an African language. Columba was a missionary, and missionaries went to Africa.

4ColumbawouldhavecrossedfromIonatoMullandthen,togettotheObanarea,hewouldhavegone–

A In a boat with oars and sailsB On horsebackCBypaddlesteamerDByprivatejet

5WhichoftheseearlyChristiansisalsoassociatedwiththeWestofScotlandandissaidtohavemetStColumba?

A St ValentineB St MungoC St Joan of ArcD St Francis of Assisi

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HISTORYORLEGEnD?

ExtensionworkFInDOuTMOREABOuT: the beautiful manuscripts produced in the old Irish monasteries and abbeys. For example, the famous BookofKells.WhatistheconnectionwithIona?

The island of Iona as it is today.

How much of what is known about St Columba is real history, and how much we would call ‘legend?’

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GOAnDMAKEALIFEFORYOuRSELFThere is only a narrow strip of water separating Scotland from Donegal. For a long time, the favourite departure point for Donegal people was the town of Derry. If you set sail from Derry, the nearest big town to head for was Glasgow. Maybe that’s why the connection between this part of Ireland and the Clyde has lasted many centuries.

Throughout the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century, workers came over from Donegal at harvest time to work on the big farms in the Scottish Lowlands. Small crofts with high rents back home simply couldn’t support whole families.

During the terrible Irish potato famine in 1845, when a fungal infection wiped out an entire crop, Donegal was actually less badly affected than some other parts of Ireland. Nonetheless people faced starvation. Many Donegal people were among the folk who crowded on to the boats that headed for Glasgow.

Butitwastheseasonalharvestworkwhichbecamea way of life. Money could be made to send home to the family, or to carry back at the end of the season. The upsurge in demand for food had begun with the Napoleonic wars and it continued as the population grew. So the Scottish farmers had the chance to produce bigger crops. And for that they needed a lot of workers, especially at harvest time.

In Scotland, crop cutting was called shearing. At first,theDonegalworkersusedsickles,whichtheycarriedwiththemontheDerryBoatatthestartofeach harvest.

This movement continued into the twentieth century, but by then, there were other kinds of work. On the farms, there was more tattie (or tottie in Glaswegian) howkin and turnip lifting

than shearing. There was heavy manual work on the roads or in the mines or digging tunnels. For women, there was a variety of manual and factory work.

Especially in farm work, the conditions were still very poor.

Bythe1950s,workingconditionsweregettingbetter. And there was still demand for labour. People continued to come and work in a variety of factory jobs and on the Glasgow buses and trams.

BynowsomehadrelativeslivinginGlasgow.SomemoremadeGlasgowtheirhome.Butsomecontinued to go back and forward between the two countries, or to work in Glasgow for a few years and then return to Donegal.

InmytimethereweremanypeoplelivingonGabhla.Therewere200peoplelivingontheisland,andthereweretwoteachers,whospokeIrish.IleftschoolwhenIwasfourteen,anddid housework. There was plenty of fish on the island,andplentyofseafood.Youcouldmakea dinner of it – the clams, and dogfish – and therewasplentyofpotatoes,andvegetables.Therewasn’tmuchmoneybutyouhadyourownmilkandturf-nocoal,andnotmuchmoney.Weusedtocutturfandtakeithomewiththedonkey...Mymotherdied,that’swhyIwasrunningthehouse,Iwasfourteenyearsold,therewasseveninthefamily.nellywastheeldest,soshewenttoAmerica,therewasnoworkatallontheislandforgirls.Themenwent out fishing. There were three girls, I was theyoungest,sowhenpeoplewere16,theywentaway to find work. So when I was 16, I went over toGlasgow.BecausemysisterswereinGlasgow,livingintheSouthside,sothatwaswhereIwantedtogo.

Hannah McElhone

Wehadagoodenoughlife,butwewerebusy.Athome,beforeIcamehere,weusedtotakeinalotoflodgersinRannnaFeairste,meandmymotherlookedafterthem.Ihadtwosisters,buttheywereatthefactoryinCroithlí,andwelookedafterthelodgers,upto14peoplestoppingwithus.Atthattimetherewasnowateroranything,wehaddrytoilets,youhadtogetupinthemorningandcleanthemallout,andbringwaterfromthepump,andpreparefordinner,andliftpotatoesforthenextday,formash-wehadtwocowsandagoat,wehadtolookafterthem.Wehadnofreetime.Wehadtoworktokeepitgoing.MyfatherdiedwhenIwaskindofyoung,sowehadtokeepgoing.

Padraig OGallchoir,

IcameoverherewhenIwas11yearsofagewithmyfamily.MyfatherwasworkinghereandmymotherwasathomeherselfinGweedore,withthechildren.Therewasnoworkathome.Myfatherwasworkinghereandmymotherathome.Mypoormotherhadalltheworkroundthehousetodo.Wewereallyoungandtherewasn’tmuchfoodabout,itwasduringthewar.

Rose McGeady

MyearliestrecollectionsofDonegalareprobablyofwhenIwasaboutthreeyearsoldandthatwasgointomygrandmother’shomeinGweedore.Itwasaone-roomedcottage– thatched roof, peat fire, black pot, candlelight, raincominginthedoor,smokecomingdownthechimney,asortofconstantbattlebetweeneitherbeingsoakedtodeathonthedoorsteporsmokedtodeathinside.Itwaslikegoingintoadifferentworld. GeorgeJackson,(fromTheCompleteOdysseyedBillyKay)

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MymumwasfromGweedore,intheGaeltachtd,rightonthecoastofDonegal.Shewasbornin1928,oneoftenchildrenofapoorfamily.Likemostpeoplelivingtherehadgrownupwithherfatherworkingawayandthencominghome–hecametoScotlandandworkedonthefarms.Sowhensheandherbrothersgottotheageofsixteentheywerejustencouragedtogooffandearnmoney.Theywereencouragedtogoandmakealifeforthemselves,becausetherewasnothingthereexceptthelandand,whenyouhavetenchildren,there’snotenoughtogivethemapieceofland,sotheyhavetogo.TherewasonefactoryintheareacalledtheCrollyDollfactory-aweevillagecalledCrolly(Croithlí)andtheymadethesedolls,worldfamousdolls.Andmymumworkedinthatfactoryforacoupleofyears.

Lorraine McIntosh,

Irememberitwell,goinghalfamileuptothemainroad,1956Ithink,theninthemorninggoingonthebustoDerryandcomingoverontheboatfromDerrytoGlasgow-ittookabout12hours.Itwouldgobetween5and6intheafternoon,anditwouldbeinGlasgowabout7thenextmorning.

Fearagail Mac Suibhne

IrememberthemastersendingmeuptowoodneartheschoolinCashelgor.Ihadtocutastickwithwhichtobeatthechildren.Wealsohadtotakeasodofturftotheschoolwithus.Theturfwasn’ttoheattheclassroomitwastoheatthemastersroom.

Jilie Mullaney

Many’sthetimeItravelledontheboatgoingbacktoGlasgow,onacattleboat,andtheycalledthatpartoftheboat‘Steerage’...Isupposenowthey’dcallitsecondclass.Buttheboatswerealwayscrowdedinthesedays,asthemansays,yejisthidtaekipdownwhereyecould.Andtherewasalwaysthatsmellofcattleontheboats.Theyusedtocleanthemoutrightenough,hosethemdowninside,buttherewasalwaysthatsmellofcattleabout,andthiswouldmaybemakeyousick,morethantheseawaves.Itgotprettypackedattimes,prettyrough,thewaterusedtocomeinthroughthesidesoftheboatwhentheyusedtoopenthedoors,toputthegangwayup.Iftherewasaheavysea,thewaterusedtobashinthroughtheopendoors–theplacewasprettywetinside,youknow.Itwasprettyrough,thecattleusedtogetsick–usedtomakealotofnoise,yeknow.Butthepeopleusedtobekeptseparateasmuchastheycould,yeknow,butyoucouldhearthemallnight.Iusedtogetsickmyselfandbewalkingaboutfortwoorthreedays,thinkingIwasstillontheboat,yeknow.

MrKearney,DerryBoat (fromTheCompleteOdysseyedBillyKay)

TheDerryBoatTG4byKateHeany

The stories of ten Donegal women who went ‘over by’ to Glasgow to earn a living in the 1940s to 1960s. This is a newspaper article describing a TV programme screened in 2007.

Click on: http://www.nwipp-newspapers.com/DN/free/313827968342152.php

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THEOLDPLACES

Maps

Pairs

Skim read through the stories of the Donegal folk, including the article from the Dublin News. Make a note of all the place names they mention. Then go to Google and see if you can locate them on the map. Create your own Donegal map with these places included.

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THESPECIALCOnnECTIOn

PosterIndividual

Start by printing off a blank map ofBritainandIreland. Click on: http://learnhistory.org.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=177

Mark in Glasgow and Iona. Iona’s not on this blank map. You’ll have to draw a tiny circle just off the South West tip of Mull

Write in the names Glasgow,Donegal and Iona

Draw a circle over the West of Scotland. The centre should be half way between Iona and Glasgow, and the circle should be just big enough to include Iona and Glasgow.

Draw a wide two-sided arrow from Donegal to the edge of the circle.

Now think of the best way to represent all the big movements of people between Donegal and the West of Scotland. Perhaps by drawing out spider legs from the arrow, with a box at the end of each. In each box you put the date and no more than 10 words of explanation. You should have one box for each of these dates:

400(about) 563 1611 1845 1800-1920 1940s-60s.

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WHOCAMEFORWHAT?

Matching

Pairs

Match these newcomers to Scotland over the last 1600 years with their descriptions.

Columba

XianChang(19)fromChina2009

DonaldMacGregor(56)fromBoston,uSA

PatrickO’Donnell(28)fromDonegal,1890

KingFergusMorMacErc

Congolesewoman,fromD.R.Congo2001

PavelRutkowsky(34)fromPoland2007

FatimaMalik,Pakistan,1950s

O’CarrolfamilyIreland1845

looking for work in building trade

driven to Scotland from hunger

became nurse in N. H.S

student who wants to learn English

asylum seeker (looking for protection)

missionary

leader of invading army

seasonal harvest worker

returning home for twilight years

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WHYAREYOuLEAVInG?

DrawWorkinpairs

Imagine it’s 1946 and you have just turned sixteen. You have travelled from Donegal to Derry and are waiting for the boat to take you over to Glasgow whereyouhopeyouwillfindworkandmakesomemoney. While you are waiting, a rich visitor from America appears on the dock and tries to speak to you. Unfortunately he doesn’t speak any Gaelic andyoudon’tspeakanyEnglish.Butyougatherthat he wants to know why you are leaving. You try to explain by using mime, but he’s no good at that. So you get some notepaper from him and draw the explanation.

Use simple drawings (but, of course, no words) and signs like arrows and crosses. Take at least six things from all the bits of stories you can read here – things that mean you have to leave, e.g.

• small farm• big family• smoky house• water pump outside• candles• no work• one factory

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THEWORKWASHARDHere are some things people have said about the work the Donegal people found in Scotland over the years:

TheoriginalshearershadsicklehooksandtheycarriedthemwiththemfromIreland.Later,theyhadthescythesand-therewerethreeinasquad-onecutting,oneliftingandbindingandtheotherstooking.Patrick Roarty (fromTheCompleteOdysseyedBillyKay)

Insomeplacesthetattiehowkerswerelockedintothebarnatnight,apracticewhichresultedintheappallingtragedyatKirkintillochin1937.There,tenpeoplewereburnedtodeath,unabletoescapewhentheirsleepingquarterscaughtfire. (fromTheCompleteOdysseyedBillyKay)

The first job I had was cutting hair! I spent ayearatthat,andthenIspent3or4yearsworkingoutside,thenIwenttoSinger’s,wheretheymadesewingmachines.Istayedthere7years,thenworkedoutsideagain.IspentawhileworkinginYemenandAfricatoo.Fearagail Mc Suibhne

IwenttoworkinKillininPerthshire.Iworkedthereforayear,untilIwasinjuredandsenthome.ThenIcameback,that’showitwent.IworkedinKillin,andIworkedinInverary,andIworkedinLochawe,peoplefromRannnaFeairstealwayswithme.Weweretunnelling,boringandcuttingthroughthehills.WhenIcamedowntoGlasgowtheworkwasharder,notmuchwassaidunlessyouweredoingsomethingwrong.Padraig O’Gallchoir

Iwasworkingasawaitress.Youhadtowearthebiguniformwithcleancuffs.Iwasthereacoupleofyears,thenthewarcameandyougotcalledup.IwenttoBirmingham.IwasinGlasgowin‘41whentheairraidswereon–thebombingofClydebank.Wewereinashelter,listeningtothebombers.AfterthatIwasinBirmingham... it was worse there! But you keptgoing,youtookitinyourstride.Ididn’tliketheworkinBirmingham.Iwasmakingpiecesfortanks,youknow,warwork...andyoucouldn’tleaveit.Butafterayear,Igotarelease-aScottishdoctor,heheardthatI’dcomefromGlasgow,hethoughtIwasfromGlasgow...well,heletmegoanyway.SoIwentonthetramcars– a conductress. I did 4 years. “Fares please!” You’dworkshifts.Sometimesweekends.Therewerethreeshiftsreally-anearlyshiftat4.am.Youhadtoleaveatthree,becauseyouhadtowalktothedepot.Therewasanafternoonshiftattwo,andlaterthanthat,anothershift.Therewasanall-nightcartoo.Helen mcElhone

IwasworkinginaslipperfactoryinEglintonStreet,IgotmarriedandIkeptonworking.Iworkedinameatfactoryandinafactorymakingskirtsandblouses.ThenIwasonthebusesandintheschools.Rose McGeady

When I came here first I got work in a big house. Thepeoplewereverygoodandnice,therewereonlytwooftheminit.Ihadtogetupeverymorning,Istartedmyworkat8am,Ihadtodohousework,dustingandthingslikethat.WhenI was at home, I never lit a fire - you know, from theverystart.Whenweweregoingtobedatnight, we used to rake the fire, that was to put turfunderthecindersandputtheashesroundaboutthen,whenyougotupthenextmorningthecinderswerered-youhadnothingtodobutput the cinders standing and you had a fire, you

hadnobotherwithit.SoIhadneversetandlita fire from scratch, I wasn’t used to it. I was well usedtoworkingwithturf,footingitandturningitastherewasplentyturfinSleeghanwhereourhomewas.Mary O’Donnell

Iwasusuallyworkingundergroundbecausethemoneywasbetter.I’dhavepreferredtobeacarpenterbutthemoneywasbetterinmining.IworkedinChicago,Wales,thesouthofEngland.Iwasworkinghereforabout20yearsandthenIhadanaccident,Iwaselectrocutedbyanelectriccable...10,000volts.IwaswiththeGasBoard,layingpipes.Thejackhammerwentinacableand40%ofmybodywasburnt.13weeksinthehospitalandanother8or9timestogetthings like skin grafts ... I’m alive! I was in the Burns Unit of the Western Infirmary and when Iwasthere,atunnellingaccidenthappened.Thoseguysweren’tsluckyasIwas.Threeofthem were killed, two the first day and another one after eight or ten days. He died on the first dayofChristmas.Micheál Mc Suibhne 1950s

AndreadTheDerryBoatTG4byKateHeany

The stories of ten Donegal women who went ‘over by’ to Glasgow to earn a living in the 1940s to 1960s. This is a newspaper article describing a TV programme screened in 2007.

Click on: http://www.nwipp-newspapers.com/DN/free/313827968342152.php

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AJOBIFAnCY/DOn’TFAnCY

Discuss

Group

In your group, make a list of all the jobs that are mentioned. Each person have a copy of the list and then, before you start the discussion, mark the jobs you would least like to do, and the ones you think would be best – or at least O.K. In the group, discuss why you made these choices. Notice that war work is mentioned. During World War Two, women often did work that men usually did.

Now see what the group think of as many of these questions as you can deal with

Doweworkjusttomakemoney?

Isittruetosaythatalljobscanbepleasurable?

Shouldeverybodygetpaidholidays?

Shouldpeoplebepaidmoreforunpleasantwork?

Woulditbegoodtobeacasual/seasonalworkerorwoulditbebettertohaveapermanentjob?

Wouldyoubewillingtotraveltodoseasonalwork?

Whatdoyouthinkisbad/goodaboutshiftwork?

Istheresuchathingasmen’sworkandwomen’swork?

Doyouthinkitwaseasierformenorwomeninthe1950s?

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DEBATEGroup

Each group choose one of these questions and put it into the form of a statement, for example:

‘Menshouldbepaidhigherwagesthanwomen.’

In debates, this is called a motion. The whole class should now vote which group’s motion they think would be best for a debate.

Once this has been done, you have to decide whether you agree with the motion or not. Then you write down the points you think you can make to support your case.

Then the class holds the debate. There should be a chairperson who controls the debate. You have to raise your hand when you want to speak, so that the chairperson can give you permission. You only speak once, so string all your points together.

The chairman also ensures both sides of the argument are heard. You cannot interrupt when somebody else is speaking, or ask them questions.

At the end, the chairperson calls a vote, and, when the count is taken, he/she announces whether the motion has been carried or defeated.

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REMEMBERInG

Poem

Individual

Try this way of writing a ten line poem. Here are the rules:

• It’s not a rhyming poem• The lines can have different numbers of words

in them, but no more than seven.• A sentence can end at the end of a line, or run

over into the next line.• You must use these ten words, in any order,

but only one of them in each line: cattle, wave, stench, darkness, pressed, drag, factory, kitchen, boots,fire.

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MIGRAnTWORKERS

FInDOuTMORE

There are many thousands of migrant workers in the modern world. These are the people who travel from other countries looking for ways of earning a living. Sometimes employers bring them in to do the kind of work other people don’t want to do. Often, their wages are very low, and their working conditions very bad. And sometimes, just as with the Kirkintilloch tattie howkers in 1937, there are tragedies. One example is the tragedy of the cockle workersinMorecambeBayin2004.Findoutwhatcaused this tragedy.

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OVERBYInGLASGOW

The Irish in Glasgow. Click on this youtube connection and hear some Donegal residents talking about their days in Glasgow before they returned home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqd2szfjXcI

The people who came to Glasgow from Donegal in the early twentieth century settled in the poorer tenement districts of the city. Gorbals, in particular, was a big Irish Community. After the second world war, Donegal people arriving in Gorbals would have felt very much at home. Here are some people looking back to the 1950s and before.

ItwasaDonegalcommunityandisstillyeknow,althoughthey’rescatteredmoreoutatallthehousingschemes.Butit,itwasagoodcommunity.Well,onaSaturdaynightyoumightgodownabouttheGorbals.Yemightjustfalloutaboutsomethingandyewouldseeaweefight and that was that. But, for the rest of it, theywereallgoodpeople...Con Greene(fromTheCompleteOdysseyedBillyKay)

Theoldtenements-theydidn’tlooktoogoodontheoutside,butwhenyouwalkedintothehouses,theyallhadlovelyhouses,andinthesedaystherewasnohotandcoldwater-nobaths,buteverythingwasnice,youknow,inside.MrsMcGarvey(fromTheCompleteOdysseyedBillyKay)

Wehadsomanyneighboursandfriendswhowerehere,thatcomingintoGlasgow,especiallytheparishesofStJohn’sandStFrancis’inthesouthside,andStLuke’s,waslikecominghomebecausetherewasastrongGaeltachtinGlasgowin1950whenIcamehere.PatrickRoarty(fromTheCompleteOdysseyedBillyKay)

TherewasabigdifferencebetweenGlasgowandtheplacewewereraised–alittlefarmintheRosses.IwasinLetterkennyorDerryonceortwicebeforethat,butnotinacitylikethis,withindustryandsuchthingsgoingon,andtrams...therewasabigdifference.Butwegotusedtoit,andI’mhereover60years,andI’mhappyenough with everything!

We had a room and kitchen, at first anyway, manypeopleraisedbigfamiliesinthelikesincitieslikethis.Thereweremanywhodidn’tevenhaveakitchen,‘singleends’thosewerecalled,andfamilieswereraisedtheretoo.Firstwegotasub-letandwemovedacoupleoftimesandthenwegotourownhouse...wewerehereintheGorbalsforawhile,andupinTownhead.

TherewereloadsofIrishfolkintheareaatthattime, it was like home from home! There were loadsofpeoplefromtheRosses,andGaothDobhairandChlochCheannFhaoilidharoundthisdistrict.IwasluckytogetintotheIrishactivitiesthatwere going on here. The first thing I took part inwasanFáinne.ItwasclosetohereinSouthPortland Street. It was the first Irish thing I tookpartin.Imetnicepeoplethere,whospokeIrishwell,andsoforth.

Asyou’dbewalkingdownthestreet,you’dhearpeoplespeakingIrish...IrishCulturewasverystrongthen.Therewasalotgoingon,sometimes there’d be five ceilidhs on a Sunday nighthereinGlasgow,andabandforeachone.MostofthemusicianswereIrish,buttherewerepeopleraisedhereplayingIrishmusictoo.

IgotintotheGaelicandIrishactivitiesthatweregoingon.TherewasgoodfeelingbetweentheIrishandScottishGaelsatthattime.Therewouldbeconcertsandsoonwiththetwogroups.

Ihadagoodenoughlife,speakingformyself,Ihadmanyfriendshere.Fearagail Mac Suibhne.

Welltherewasanotherwoman,fromtheRosses,shewasthedriver-becausewecouldgotothe‘SchoolforDriving’.Sheaskedmetoputmynamedownfordriving,butIsaidno-Anniewasa‘spare’driver.ShealwaysspokeGaelic,nomatterwhereshewas.Onetimeinthesummerwhenmysteadydriverwasoff,Anniewasmydriver.She’dbeshoutingouttomeinGaelic,“Whereareyougoingtonight?Areyougoing dancing?” I had to go upstairs, because I couldn’tstoplaughing.Itdidn’tmatterwhowasthere, she’d talk to me in Irish! But we worked hard,becauseeverybodyusedthetrams.Inthemorningthere’dbeaqueuefromheretoacrossthestreet.

Manyoftheyoungmenwenthomewhenthewarstarted,butthereweredancesinErrolStreet-atthattimethepubsshutathalfpastnine,andthedancesweredoneby11pm.Theywerefun.Thereweredancesinthecitycentre,danceswiththebigbands,likeJoeLossinthebighalls.Wewenttothesmallerhallsbecauseitwasdearupintown.Theonlyproblemwasthattherewasnolightinthestreets,therewasablackout.Helen McElhone

IcametoGlasgowthenandIwasstayinginaroom.TherewasnowaterintheroombutIhadabucketforwater.Therewasn’tmuchelse-therewasaroomwithabedandagasring,therewasnocooker.Igotmarriedthenandweonlyhadaroom.WewenttotheBarrassearchingforfurniture.Timeswerehardbutyousoonforgotaboutthem.Jilie Mullaney

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OLDTEnEMEnTHOuSE

DreamStoryIndividual

Beforeyoutrythisone,itwouldbegoodifyouvisited The Peoples’ Palace in Glasgow Green. You can see an example of an old Glasgow single-end, just like the kind people are talking about in old Gorbals. Some people were lucky enough to have a room and kitchen, but single-roomed houses were still around in the 1950s and even later.

Imagine you’re the age you are now, but it’s 1949, and you’re in your single-roomed house in Gorbals. It’s a winter’s evening and your mum and dad aren’t home yet. It’s just you and your wee brother, and he’s asleep on the bed.

Write down everything you’re aware of in that room. Try to describe all these things using words to do with sight, sound, smell, touch – and taste.Now you fall asleep. And your grandson/ granddaughter from 2009 appears to you in a dream. He/she transports you to their house one winter evening in 2009. They show you everything in the house – it’s got three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom - and try to explain the things you don’t understand.

Write down all the things you can see, hear, touch, smell, taste (eat) that are new to you. Is anything not there that you think should be?

Then you are transported back and you wake up.Write down what you’re glad about in your own house compared to the one in the future. And also write down anything you think would be good – even though you might think it will never be possible.

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DOYOuREMEMBER?Interview

ClassorGroup

Can you make contact with somebody from another country who has been in Glasgow for thirty years or more? Perhaps somebody from Pakistan or Italy or China – someone who came here to work and has stayed. If you can, and if they would be willing to be interviewed, you could prepare for the interview this way:

Make a list of all the good things and all the bad things mentioned by the Donegal people when they firstcametothecity.

Prepare a list of questions in your groups.

Thentrytofindoutfromyournewintervieweewhat was similar for them, and what was different.

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ABIGDIFFEREnCE

FreeWritingIndividual

Imagine the Donegal you’ve just left – a farm by the sea. Remember a summers’ evening when you used to walk along the shore.

What did you see? Think of some details close to you as well as the distant views. What did you hear? Off shore/ on shore/close to you/ far away. Who did you see? What creatures? What did you feel? Whatabouttheweather?Beneathyourfeet?Whatwere the smells? - from sea? from shore? from land? What could you touch?

Imagine walking along your street in a summer afternoon in Gorbals in 1949. You are going for bread. Imagine what you could have seen as you pass the closes and occasional shop - the street lights, children playing, people on pavement, at windows, on road.

Any animals? What can you hear? The voices? The languages? What can you smell? What can you touch? Try to get close details.

Now write something that’s got two sections - one about Donegal, one about Gorbals. It can be a poem, or a description, or just your thoughts.

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WEDOnOTWAnTTOGO

SpeechIndividual

Intheyoutubefilm,theDonegalmanremembersGorbals as a place where you could leave your door open. The commentator at the end sees it as sad that the old tenement communities were pulled down when the housing schemes were built.

Adam Macnaughtan, Glasgow poet and songwriter, has written songs about the Glasgow that began to disappear in the 1950s.

You can hear one of the best known, Where is the Glasgow that I used to know? on youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSQt37Q1Ins.

Listen to what the song says is good about the old Glasgow (maybe the writer in thinking about the period just after the second world war – your grandparents’ time). Notice also what the streets are like at that time.

Another songwriter wrote what he considered to be a reply to Adam McNaughtan’s song – things like there were only toilets on the stair, the houses were in bad condition and so on.

Adam McNaughtan wrote another song with a verse that goes:

Maybe this is a later one, perhaps from the 1960s when some people began to realise maybe some things about the schemes weren’t as good as people firstthought.Sotheywantedtostayintheiroldtenement.

Imagine you were told that the building you live in has to come down. The Council calls a meeting to hear people’s views. You decide to go to the meeting and speak out against it.

Make a note of all the things you like about where you are and why you don’t think you should be forced to move, and all the things you don’t fancy about the new plans.

Then write out your speech as you’re going to say it at the meeting. It has to be quite forceful, because you want to convince other people.

Or imagine you’re somebody who wants the old building knocked down. Prepare your speech in the same way. Make a note of all the bad things you think have to be said and how you think it’ll be good when you get to the new place. Then write out your speech – and make it forceful.

nowreadyourspeechtothegrouportheclass.

Ohthey’retearindoonthebuildingnexttooors,And they’re sendin us to greenbelts trees and flooers, Butwedonotwanttogo,andwedailytellthemso,Whilethey’retearindoonthebuildingnexttooors.

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TRADITIOnALSTORIESDonegal is full of stories and storytellers. You can call their stories Traditional Stories or Folk tales or Fairy Tales or Tall Tales or maybe just Old Stories.

The idea is to tell the story to a live audience, as peoplesittingroundafirehavedoneforhundredsof years. There are many different kinds, some funny, some sad and some just a bit too gruesome to tell to your wee brother or sister!

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THEPLAISHAM

Makingaplay

Group

ThefirstthingyouhavetodoislistentoorreadThe Plaisham from Donegal Fairy Stories, told by SeumasMacManus.Youcanfinditat:http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=macmanus&book=donegal&story=plaisham

It has a very dark start, hasn’t it? Could be a murder story! Notice that there is a lot of this story that is talk, for instance the sharp, witty talk between Rory and Nancy. These bits of a story are called dialogue. There are other parts where somebody is actually telling us the story. These bits are called narrative.

Can you see that the story is also told as if it’s a Donegal person talking?

Roryisa‘youngstreelofafellow.’nancycallsShamus‘anouldcrature’Thestorytellersaysthingslike:‘soheupandsaystonancy...’

Make a note of other examples of Donegal talk.

Youneedtobeingroupsoffive,oneforeachoftheparts: Nancy, Rory, Shamus, The Wee Red Man (or Woman) and the Prince (or Princess). Now you have to think of the story as a play. So, the important parts are all the parts where there is dialogue. You can miss out the narrative bits. Each section of dialogue is a scene.

First of all, make a list, numbering all the scenes in the story and giving them a title. You would have something like:

SCEnE1 The plot to get rid of Shamus,

SCEnE2 Nancy visits the Prince, and so on.

You’ll end up with quite a long list of scenes, so, it’s a long project to make a play of the whole story! Start with one scene ... and see how far you can go.First of all, in your groups, come up with ideas to make it into a modern,realistic story. The Plaisham uses Donegal kind of talk to make it witty and fast-moving. You use the language of modern Glasgow to do the same.

Can you think of a way to get rid of the magic bits in the story? Or could you have some kind of magic that would work in a modern story? Who could the Princebe?SomelocalMrBig?ThepersonShamusworks for? What aboutThe Wee Red Man? Could he be some mysterious friend who turns up out of the blue? Somebody who’s got as much power as MrBig?WhataboutShamus’simpossibletasks?Maybe, he’s a builder, but not superman – how could he build a house in a day? Or he’s just quite good at a lot of sports (snooker, tennis, darts and so on) - and they say he can beat anybody.

Now each group works out what happens in a scene. Then in your group, you practise acting it. Youcanchangeitandaddnewlinesafteryourfirstattempt.

If it works well, let the whole class see a performance.

After that, you might decide to do a full length performance! Or, in groups or individually, write out the scenes as scripts.

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SAMEBuTDIFFEREnT

Storytelling

Group/WholeClass

In your group, or in the whole class, somebody start by telling what they remember of the story ‘Jack andtheBeanstalk’.Therestofthegrouporclasslisten and then add in the different details they might have heard when they were being told the story.

Now, half of the groups go to: http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php3?author=macmanus&book=donegal&story=_contentsAndbringupthestory,‘TheBee,theHarp,theMouseandtheBumclock.’

The other half go to: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0328jack.htmlAndchoose:5‘JackandtheBeanTree’

ThefirststoryisfromDonegal,theotherfromtheAppalachian Mountains in America.

Each group has got to read, listen to, get to know just one of these stories. Then they have to practise telling it. Once you’ve got a good grasp of the main bits of the story, the group tells it to the whole class. You can do this by letting one person tell the story, with the rest prompting if the storyteller forgets some bits. Or somebody can start the story, tell a bit and then pass it on to the next person in the group.

Some storytellers even add in their own new details!

Of course, telling stories in your own natural accentisbest.But,itmightbefuntotry‘TheBee,theHarp,theMouseandtheBumclock’inaDonegalaccent,and‘JackandtheBeanTreeinan Appalachian Mountains accent – whatever you think that might sound like!

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MOREOFTHESAMEBuTDIFFEREnT

ThinkingaboutStories/DiscussionGroups

When you start to read traditional stories from different countries all around the world, you quickly realise that stories that are very similar keep coming up. In some cases, it is obviously just the same story with a few different details, as with the Jack stories, whether he climbed a beanstalk or a bean tree. Another example is seen in ‘The Mermaid’ from Donegal and ‘The Selkie’ (the seal) from Scotland.

Noeleen Ní Cholla, a Donegal story teller and teacher of Gaelic, tells the outline of story of ‘The Mermaid’ and then she performs a song version.

‘TheMermaid’. The basic story is about a man who hears a mermaid singing as he walks by the shore. When they see each other, they fall in love. The mermaid becomes an earthly woman so that she can marry him. They are happy and they have children, and all is well - until the children discover the secret: her mermaid’s tail (or in some versions a cloak) that was hidden in the attic. Once that happens, the woman has to become a mermaid again and return to the sea.

‘TheSelkie’. The man is walking along a lonely shore one evening when he hears strange music and he sees people dancing in a circle. He knows these are seal people. He hides behind some rocks and creeps closer so to watch them. Suddenly, the music stops because the seal people smell the presence of a human being. They snatch up their sealskins from the rocks and run into the sea.

Allexceptoneyoungwoman,whocan’tfindhers.The man has it in his hand. Without her sealskin she can’t return to the sea, so she becomes his wife and they have children and she is happy. Then, one day, when the man and the children have gone awaytospendadayatafair,shefindsthekeytothe chest where the man has hidden her sealskin. She is torn between the call of her people in the sea and her love for her children. Just as the man returns to the farmhouse, he hears music from the sea and he looks out and sees his seal wife swimming away from the shore.

Discussinyourgroup:

• What do you see as the main differences between the two stories?

• Why must the mermaid return to the sea once herchildrenfindhersecret?

• Can you see any ‘meanings’ in these stories?• What feeling does each one leave you with?

note‘The Selkie’ is told in detail by Scottish writer GeorgeMacKayBrownin‘BesidetheOceanofTime’ (pages 141 – 171).

Another story, ‘The Seal King’ is told by George MacKayBrownin‘TheTwoFiddlers’Inthisstory,the lovers are an earthly woman and a seal man. This is the version of the story you usually hear in the song, ‘The Selkie Song’ which starts, ‘I am a man upon the land.’

This is a pair of stories which are obviously basically the same. If you search among other traditionalstories,sometimesyoufinddifferentkinds of similarities. Two stories might start the same way, but become different as they go on. Or they might work around the same idea. Or the main character might be the same kind of person. Sometimesyoucanfindtheseverysimilarstoriesfrom different parts of the world.

Here are another two to compare: ‘The Old Hag’s LongLeatherBag’fromSeamusMacManus’s‘DonegalFairyTales.’And‘TheBlueRose’,anAlgerianstoryfrom‘BuffaloHorns’(TheVillageStorytelling Centre)

Discussinyourgroup:

• What are the similarities between these two stories? Make a list.

• Do stories travel across the world – and change on the way?

• Do very similar stories come out of people’s heads in every country in the world?

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SADSTORIESNoeleen Ní Cholla tells the sad story of the father whose son is drowned when they take different ways home (The First Tuesday of Autumn) and the gruesome/ scary story of the mackerel whose belly gives up bits of a dead man’s jumper. These are very sad stories! Stories about the sea and the losses people suffer when they live by the sea. And, then The Mermaid. Noeleen talks about changing the end of the Mermaid for young kids – just to make it a wee bit less sad.

Ofcourse,whensometraditionalstorieswerefirstbeing sung or told, in Donegal and elsewhere, they weren’t meant for children.

Thinkabout:SnowWhite. In the Disney cartoon, the wicked witch/ stepmother disappears after Snow White bites the apple. And then the Prince wakes her up and they get married and live happy ever after. But,intheoldstorytoldbytheGrimmbrothers,the stepmother turns up at the wedding! For her wickedness, she is made to dance in red-hot shoes until she falls over and dies.

Cinderella. Remember the ugly sisters trying to squeeze their big feet into the tiny glass slippers? Intheoldstory,thefirstsistercutsoffhertoetomaketheslipperfit.Sheisfoundoutwhenshestarts bleeding all over the carriage. The second sister tries the same thing, only this time it’s her heel she cuts off.

RedRidingHood. We all remember being told how Little Red Riding Hood is saved by the woodsmanwhokillsthewickedwolf.Butintheoriginal version, told by Charles Perrault, the girl meets the wolf and gets false directions from him. He lies in wait and attacks her and eats her. And that’s the end.

Would you tell any of these as bedtime stories ?

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HAVEYOuGOTTHEGAELIC?‘Have you got the Gaelic?’ is what Irish people say rather than ‘Do you speak Gaelic?’ When referring to the Irish language, people pronounce ‘Gaelic’ as [Gailic], whereas, if it is Scottish Gaelic, the usual pronunciation is [Galic].

After Ireland became independent in 1923, the Irish government made a big effort to revive Gaelic. Certain places in the country were declared to be Gaeltacht areas . That meant they were areas where Gaelic was the main language. People from other areas of the country were encouraged to go there to improve their Gaelic. Sometimes they would lodge with local families for the whole summer so that they could be immersed in the language. Children got money for speaking it.

It was usually in country areas, far from the cities, that Gaelic had managed to survive. West Donegal is one of the main Gaeltacht areas of Ireland. Gweedore is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland.

Irish Gaelic is a Celtic language. It is very closely related to Scottish Gaelic. First cousins to these two languages are the other Celtic languages - Welsh,Manx,CornishandBreton.

The variety of Irish Gaelic spoken in Donegal is particularly like Scottish Gaelic.

Many of the Donegal people who came to Glasgow in their teens spoke little English. A lot of them remember how good it was to hear their own language being spoken in Gorbals.

But,astimewenton,howeasywasittoholdontothe old language? Some thought it important to pass Gaelic on to their children. Others seemed to think it would be better if English became their children’sfirstlanguage.

Just like all the other Celtic languages, Irish has been in retreat for centuries. The Gaeltacht areas contain only about 2.1% of the Irish population. Scottish Gaelic has even fewer speakers. Most live in the Western Isles. Worldwide, English is the powerful language.

Butsomepeopleareverykeentokeepthelanguagegoing. In Glasgow, The Celtic League (Conradh Na Gaeilge) run weekly Irish classes at four levels. Some of the people who attend are the sons and daughters of Donegal folk who came to Glasgow a generation ago.

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ROOTSHistory is very complicated. Four hundred years ago Scottish settlers went to Donegal in the Ulster Plantations. They spoke the language of Lowland Scotland-whatwecallBroadScots.Thislanguagehas survived and now is part of the rich culture of Donegal. On its website, the East Donegal Ulster-Scots Association says: the next time you decide to holiday in Ireland why not consider the North West region and enjoy the tranquil beauty of the hills, valleys and coastline of Donegal where a yin hunnèr yin thoosan fair faa ye or céad míle fáilte awaits you

WhenIcameover,IlivedinTownhead,therewasafamilytherewhoonlyspokeGaelicwiththeirchildren,whentheywereoutplayingtheyshoutedinGaelic,andeveryoneelseshoutedinEnglish.Buttheyseemedtogetonwitheveryoneelse.Padraig OGallchoir

MymumandDadspokeGaelictoeachotherandtheyspokeittofriendswhowerevisitingfromDonegal...theoddtimetheywouldmaybethrowinaphrasetousinGaelic,butwewereneverexpectedtoreplyortospeakGaelic. I think ... it was fine when they were behindcloseddoorsorwhentheywereinasafeenvironment,butoutsidethehousetheyneverspokeGaelic.Andwewereneverencouragedtospeakit.WewereabletounderstanditandwhenwewenttoIreland,wewereabletopickupwhattheyweresaying.ButeveninIreland,no-oneexpectedyoutospeakinGaelicatall,notevenayesoranooranything.Itwasverystrange.

IwouldsaythattheGaelicinDonegalisdefinitely weaker now. I mean we come to the GaelicclasseveryFridaynightinthehopethatwhenwegotoIrelandwecanuseanyskillswe’vepickedup...Butno-oneseemstowanttospeakit.Someplacesjustdon’twanttheGaelicspoken.Sosometimesyoucancomebackandyouhaven’tspokenanyGaelicatall,whichisarealshame.

Idon’tknowthatIcantellyou[whyIwanttolearnGaelic].It’sjustafeelingthatIhavethatcomesfrommyheart.There’snoexpectationfrom anyone that I should be proficient in Gaelic,it’sjustsomethingIwanttodo...It’sjustsomethingthatisapersonalinterestandapersonalpassionofmine.I’mjustsorryIleftitsolate.Grainne Cohen

MymumandhersistersallspokeGaelicallthetime,andmyGran’sEnglishwasn’tthatgreatIdon’tthink,butwhenwemoveddowntoAyrshire–GlasgowwasfullofIrishconnections-therewereveryfewIrishpeople.SomymumneverspokeitinCumnockbecauseshehadnobodytospeakitto.Occasionallyshewouldsayweethingstouslike‘shutthedoor’,‘sitdown’,‘goodnight’andthingslikethat...butIdon’tthinksheeverfeltitwasalanguagesheshouldbeteachingus,youknow,thatitwouldeverdousanygood,notlikeFrench...you’regoingtobebilingual.Ithinkshethoughtitwaslookeddownon.Lorraine McIntosh

BothmyparentswerefromDonegal....fromasmallcroftintheGaeltacht.TheyspokenothingbutIrish.WhenIcameover,Ididn’thaveawordofEnglish.Buthavingsaidthat,overthereitwasjustthespokenword.Iprobablyhadn’tseenmuchwrittenIrishtillIcametotheclasseshere.Sincecomingtotheclass,I’velearnttoreadandwriteGaelic–ifI’vegotadictionarybesideme,because,therearewordsthatIknowhowtosaybutIcan’tspellthem.

ThebigproblemIseeisthattheyoungonesovertherearenotinterestedinit.Theytendtothinkofitasapaupers’language.Andtosomeextentthatwastrue.IfyouspeaktothemnowinIrish,they’llansweryoubackinEnglish.You’llaskthemthetimeinIrishandthey’lltellyouitinEnglish.Andthat’sabitsad.WillieBoyle

Click on connection to hear Noeleen Ní Cholla speaking in Gaelic as she introduces the DVD:An Tir ud Thoir

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IRISHCOnnECTIOnS

FindoutaboutPairs/Groups

• Howmanypeopleintheclasshavefirstorsecond names that are from Irish (or Scottish) Gaelic? Make a list of the names and see if you canfindouthowtheywouldbespeltinGaelic.Also, do they have a meaning in Gaelic?

• Breton,Cornish,IrishGaelic,Manx,ScottishGaelic, Welsh. Can you put these Celtic languages in order in terms of the numbers of people who still speak them? Or, if the answer is none, which were spoken most recently spoken.

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KEEPInGTHELAnGuAGEALIVE

DiscussGroups

• Would it be good if Ireland (and Scotland) had its own language?

• What does it matter if your language dies out? – that’s the way it goes. Do you agree?

• Why do you think so many people want to learn to speak Irish or Scottish gaelic?

• Would you want to learn Irish or Scottish Gaelic? Why?

• Should younger generation try to keep it alive?• Why from your study of history did it become a

language that people thought of as a ‘paupers’ language? And the same for descendants of highland people here in Glasgow?

• If you were given the chance to learn a language, would you choose a language from your heritage or a modern language? Why?

• Is it good or bad that people should have different languages? Or is it best to let old languages die out?

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LAnGuAGECHART

Display

Group

How many people in the class can speak another language? Or have other languages in their family, maybe spoken by their parents or grandparents.Starting with these, make a list of the languages spoken in Glasgow. Do some research. You should findquiteanumber.

Trytofindouthowyousay‘welcome’(céadmílefáilte in Irish) in as many of these languages as you can.

Now design a wall chart to display this range of languages in a dramatic way.

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MYLAnGuAGE?

InterviewWholeClassTry to make contact with two Glasgow residents whosefirstlanguagesarenotEnglish,andwhowould be willing to come and speak to the class. If one could be a speaker of Irish, that would be particularly interesting. There are many other possibilities, e.g. Punjabi, Cantonese, Polish, Italian.

Ask them some of the questions the class has already discussed, and perhaps to what extent they want to see their children continuing to speak the language. Speakers from African countries would be interesting, because many have at least three languages, e.g. English, French, Lingala (D.R.Congo). It would be interesting to explore their different attitudes to each of their languages. Whichistheirfirstlanguage?Howmuchdotheystill use that language? Which language is most important to them?

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COMETODOnEGALSome Donegal people who came over in the 1950s got married and made their homes in Glasgow. Their sons and daughters, looking back on their childhoods, recall summer holidays spent with grandparents or aunts and uncles in country places and villages in Donegal.

ClicktowatchinterviewwithLorraineMcIntosh. People came to Glasgow because there was no work fortheminDonegal.Butwhatiftheirchildren,thepeople of the next generation, could go back to the land of their ancestors? Would they want to? Even if they had a nice house overlooking the sea?Here are some comments:

“No. If I was retired, I would spend more time there. I would never retire there, because there wouldn’t be enough for me as a person to do.”

“The best I could do would probably be six months in the summer time. The long winter nights I don’t think I could hack it over there.”

“Yes, next year, all being well, I’ll have a house overlooking the Atlantic ... the Isle of Saints.”

“Not living there full time. Scotland is my home. I’m very proud of my Irish heritage. I love Ireland. ButI’mScottish.ButIwouldlike,maybesomeday, to have a wee cottage there so I could keep a connection with the place.”

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BACKTOYOuRROOTS

EmailPairs

Imagine you’ve grown up. You’ve got Donegal ancestors and so has the person you’re married to. Then you win a lot of money, and you both decide to spend most of it in building a huge house beside the village your grandparents lived in. It’s in the middle of beautiful countryside and it’s overlooking the sea. You keep enough money so that you can live comfortably for 5 years – and you’ve got plans to start to make more money before your capital runs out. About a year after you’ve been living in Donegal, you get an e-mail from an old pal asking how it’s going.

Now, think yourself into that situation. Decide yourself, in your own imagination, what this place is like for you.

Then reply telling him it’s great/ pretty good/ ok/ not so good/ awful – whatever your imagination has come up with. Think of how you’ve felt in the new house, how you’re getting on with your neighbours (how many do you know?), how you spend your time, what you get from living by the sea, what you see developing in the future – everything you can think of. And ask him how old Glasgow is doing. Say what you’re glad you’re out of or what you miss most.

He replies saying that’s great/ interesting/ sad/ awful. He wants to know more about some of these mad/frightening/ boring/ sad/ interesting/ funny/ kind/ wonderful neighbours you have.You reply telling him some of the stories about people you have met.

He replies: so you’re never coming back? / so I suppose you’ll be back to Glasgow pretty soon?You reply ...

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GEOGRAPHYOFDOnEGAL

QuizPairs

Inpairs,findout,workout,orguesstheanswerstothese questions

1. The county town (the main town) is called Leitir Ceanainn in Gaelic. What is its name in English?

2. Along Donegal’s coast, there are a lot of loughs. What are these?

3. What are the names of the two biggest loughs?

4. Donegal’s landscape is rugged and hilly. It has two big mountain ranges. Find their names.

5. The River Erne has been dammed so that it can produce (a) a huge swimming pool (b) hydro-electric power (c) a beautiful sight for visitors (d) a habitat for crocodiles.

6. Donegal is bordered by these counties: Derry, Fermanagh, Leitrim, Tyrone. Which one of these is part of the Republic of Ireland?

7. Donegal’s climate is affected by the Gulf Stream. So that means it has (a) Tropical summers and Arctic winters (b) mild, damp summers and mild, wet winters (c) hot, dry summers and cold, dry winters (d) the same weather all year

8. The size of the population in the 2006 was 147, 264. In 1841, it was (a) ten times this number (b) twice this number (c) the same (d) half this number.

9. Which one of these do you think is an important part of Donegal economy? (a) coalmining (b) winemaking (c) farming (d) shipbuilding

10. Donegal rivers are great for anglers. Afavouriteriverfishis (a) mackerel (b) salmon (c) haddock (d) shark

11. Donegal is famous for seafood. Which one of the following is not seafood? : whelks, razor fish,coriander,mussels,scallops,lobster,crab

12.Donegal has the highest sea cliffs in Europe. What are they called?

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DREAMHOLIDAY

Letter

Individual/Pairs

Tourism is very important in Donegal. Thebrochurestellyouyou’llfind: • peace and quiet • wonderful sandy beaches • magnificentcliffsandmountains • beautiful countryside • riverfishingandseafishing • golf, hill-walking, pony trekking • traditionalfiddlemusic • Gaelic football • interesting, friendly little towns • famous old historical sites and abbeys • goodfood(especiallyfish) • a chance to hear the old language • ... and more

Suppose somebody who lives in Gweeedore in Donegal likes the life there well enough, but would like to go somewhere else, just for a holiday. Could you convince them that, for someone living in that quiet, country area, the ideal place for a holiday would be a big city? And what big city better than Glasgow?

Thinkfirstofallaboutthethingsyoupersonallylike about living in Glasgow. Then of things you think might be appealing to somebody coming from a quiet place in Donegal. Then perhaps you couldfindoutmoreaboutsomeofthecity’smajortourist attractions.

Then, suppose this person in Gweedore is your own age and you’re going to invite them to live in your part of the city for a couple of weeks. In fact, you’re going to invite them (once you’ve got permission!) to stay with you in your house!

Make a list of all the things you think your visitor will enjoy – about Glasgow, about your part of Glasgow, and about all the things you can do together during the holiday.

Now write a letter to the boy or girl in Gweedore, making the forthcoming holiday sound as exciting as you can.

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DREAMHOLIDAY

The previous activity could be developed to include other curricular areas, in particular Maths and ICT, as follows:

A holiday, in your own country, with someone from a different place, can be really rewarding, and it’s fun showing someone all the places that you are proud of- or not so proud, sometimes!! It is interesting seeing your own home town through the eyes of a friend from another place, especially when it is so different, eg a rural area, compared to a city.

Task1

Your friend is coming from Donegal. Work out an imaginary 5 day programme, showing them some of the sights in Glasgow, and experiencing some of the things that you enjoy as a Scottish young person.

Remember all the things you have learned doing this project. Write a list of places that would be related to the project. Use a Glasgow tourist guide to help you. Include places you have been and enjoyed.

Make a table with the headings, Area, Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Transport, Costs

Area - choose an area of Glasgow to explore, remembering that you could waste a lot of time travelling if you keep crossing the city every day!

Morning,Afternoon – Consider how long it takes to do something, including your travel time. Put in times, remembering am and pm: or chose to use the 24hour clock.

Evening - What leisure activities would you share with your visitor? Remember, you can chose to spend time at home or meeting with friends. What about a special meal? Maybe if other people in the class are doing the same as you, you could plan ‘events’ together. Eg a leaving party! It might look like this:-

AREA

Glasgow green - Hampden

MORnInG

10.00am-12.noon People’s Palace and outdoor playground

AFTERnOOn

1.00pm.- 4.00pm.Hampden Football Ground and Football museum

EVEnInG

6.00pm- 8.00pmTea at Granny’s- she’s from Ireland!!

TRAnSPORT

No.23Buscar

COSTS

Fare: 2.00Entry: 0.00Drinks: 1.20Flowers: 1.50

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TCH2-03b

Mnu2-09a

Mnu2-10a

Mnu2-10c

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Task2

Your friend is coming from Donegal and wants to see something of Scotland. Use the Visit Scotland websitetofindplacesofinterest.

Make a table with the headings:-Region, Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Costs.

Region- Put in which region you will visit each day. Think about what your regions have to offer for your visitor

Morning-Yourfirstmorningwillbeyourfirstjourney. Where do you want to go? You can travel as much or as little as you like but it must be by train, and you must put in all your train times- departures and arrivals.

Afternoon - try to see as much as you can in the area you are visiting, but it has to be do-able!

Evening - you will have to check in at your accommodation. Maybe it’s best to use youth hostels-youwillfindthemontheinternetandtheyare quite cheap. The last evening you will be back home- what special night would you plan?

Costs - Put in all your travel and accommodation costs. You can make a daily budget for food. Decide whatitistobe.Budgetfor2childrenand1adult.

Your table may look something like this:-

REGIOn

DAY1EDINBURGH

MORnInG

09.10-10.05:GlasgowQueenstreet-EdinburghWaverly10.30-11.30: Climb Scott monument

AFTERnOOn

13.00-16.00: Edinburgh Castle

EVEnInG

18.00: Check in at Haymarket Youth Hostel19.00: Cinema

COSTS

Travel: 18.50Entrance: 21.00 Accom.: 16.50

Task3

You are from Donegal, and your Glasgow friend has been working on this project and wants to visit. Use the direction above (1 or 2) to chose a suitable travel plan to show him/her the places they have been learning about. You will need to contact the Irish tourist board. Maybe you could set up a little travel agency,withbooklets,leafletsandinformation.

nOTESTOTEACHERS:

TASKS 1 and 2 are differentiated to include children with different abilities in Maths and ICT, andcouldbesimplifiedevenfurthertosupporttheLearning outcomes expected for different groups/ individuals

Task 3 can be approached in exactly the same way as 1 and 2, and it may be interesting to pair the children as ’pen pals’, sharing their proposed journeys.

Alternatively, children could work in pairs, supporting each other in the decision making of their journeys

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MuSIC,SOnG&DAnCETraditional Irish music and dance is alive and thriving in Glasgow. And Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Gatherting of Irish Musicians) aim to see that its good health continues. Comhaltas is a worldwide organisation dedicated to supporting and celebrating Irish language and culture. Their firstbranchoutsideIrelandwasfoundedinGlasgow in 1957. The Glasgow Irish Minstrels is still going strong. Now there is another Glasgow branch, St James the Great, in Pollok.

The branches have formed bands which give concerts and travel to competitions throughout the U.K. and Ireland. Their doors are open to people of any age.

Comhaltasgivestuitionin:• The Irish language• Irish set dancing• Traditional musical instruments including

fiddle,mandolin,flute,tinwhistle,drums,bodhran, banjo, accordion – and also, harp and uillean pipes.

And the teaching is free!http://www.glasgowirishminstrels.co.uk

DOnEGALMuSICDonegal has always been a great place for traditional music. For two years in a row, LetterkennyhostedtheallIrelandfinaloftheFleadh Cheoil (Fla Cyol) , the festival of music run by Comhaltas.

There is an old proverb that says: in Donegal, there’safiddleineveryhouse.Theartofthefiddlerwasprizedaboveallothers.Duofiddlingwasaparticular accomplishment. Old Donegal music oftenusedonlythefiddleandthepipes.

Another difference between Donegal and other areas was to do with the pipes. Throughout Ireland, the uillean pipes are very common. Uillean means elbow, and the pipes are so-called because the piper uses his elbow to squeeze a bellows. To play the uillean pipes, the piper is always seated.

But,inDonegal,thetraditionalinstrumentwasthepiob mor – the great highland bagpipe, which is very similar to Scottish Highland bagpipes. It was played by a standing piper. In modern Donegal music, of course, these very old traditional instruments have been joined by all the newcomers-theflute,thetinwhistle,accordionand all the rest.

Donegal is also noted for the accomplishment of its traditional singers in the art of varying basic melodies.

Listen to Mairéad Ní Mhaonaig of Donegal band AltandoingsometrickyIrishfiddlinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4OAkUN-m3A

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IRISHDAnCE

Dance!Wholeclass

People who came to Glasgow in the 1950s talk about going to céilís in their leisure time. Céilís were social get togethers where they could dance or listen to Irish music or just meet people. In Scotland, the word is written as ceilidh. Originally, it was any social gathering. At The Village Storytelling Centre in Pollok, there is a monthly ceilidh. There is some music, but the main activity is storytelling.

ButforthefolkwhocamefromDonegalinthe1950s, ceilis were mainly dancing. A particular kind of dancing at traditional gatherings was the Set Dance. This is the type of dancing taught by Comhaltas. If you watch the clip, you’ll see some skilled set dancers in action. As you can see, it is usually a dance involving four people moving together and forming artistic patterns. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj13osgy2M0

Step Dancing is something different. It was made hugely popular some years ago by big spectacular showslikeRiverdance.Butithasalongtradition.So,justforfun,watchfirst:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96nrFtegAkQ&feature=player_embedded

Then, take a quick lesson by watching this one:http://www.5min.com/Video/Learn-How-to-Irish-Dance-112625259

Then everybody try it. Just for fun, mind! Nothing competitive. Have a laugh!

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SEnTIMEnTALMuSIC

Collecting/WritingGroup

Donegal, like other parts of Ireland, has a lot of sentimental songs attached to it. There are: The Hills of Donegal, The Homes of Donegal, Dear Old Donegal, etc. These are usually quite modern songs, made up by people outside Ireland.Mostly these songs just use the name Donegal. They could be about anywhere in Ireland.The words of these songs are usually something like:IwishIwashomeinDorI’mgoingBacktoDor I’ve wandered all over but D is the best place in the world.

Canthegroupthinkofanysimilar‘TakemeBack’to Scotland (or a bit of Scotland) songs? Maybe about the hills or the heather or home sweet home.Could you make up a song (the words to begin with) about coming back to Glasgow? After, say, you’ve lived in sunny Spain for a couple of years and you’re homesick and now you’re coming back?

Here’sthepattern:

I remember the heatherOntopoftheBen.I’m longing to be thereAnd walk down the glen.

So, verse one could be:

For this is my cityAnd these are my folkThe rain always hits youAnd gives you a soak.

Well, not very good. You have to make lines two and four rhyme, and try to make the lines go with the same dum di dums (or nearly the same).

As a group, have a go at finishing theseverses:

GodowntotheBarras,It’llmakeyoufeelfineThey’ll sell .................................................. Youneedarhymefor‘fine!’

I love all the patter,The way people talkButsometimes.............................................

You need a rhyme for ‘talk!’ Or, if that doesn’t give you a good line, change talk to speak. Or change the line to ‘The things people say’.

There’s Celtic and RangersThey’re known the world o’er or I’m sure you’ll agree orTwofinefootballsides................................................................................................

Choose the line that gives you the best choice of rhyme.

Canyoutryaverseofyourown?

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ACKnOWLEDGEMEnTS

We wish to thank the following people:Colm MacCathmhaoil, Irish Language and Development Worker at The Gaelic League (Conradh na Gaeilge) for permission to use material from their DVD, An Tir ud Thoir. Copies of the DVD, which includes extensive interviews in Gaelic (with sub-titles), can be obtained from:

The Gaelic League, Govanhill Neighbourhood Centre, 6 – 8 Daisy Street, Glasgow G42 8JL. Email: cnag_glaschu@hotmail.com Phone: 0141 433 9495

Noeleen Ní Cholla for interview material and the recording of ‘The Mermaid Song’.

BillyKayforpermissiontoquotefrom The Complete Odyssey (Polygon), edited by BillyKay.BrianBoyle,WillieBoyle,GrainneCohenand Lorraine MacIntosh for kindly agreeing to be interviewed.

AnSWERS

WHOCAMEuPTHECLYDEOnABIKE?QuIZ

1D2C3C4A5B

WHOCAMEFORWHAT?MATCHInG

Columba missionaryXian Chang studentDonald MacGregor returning homePatrick O’Donnell seasonal harvest workerKing Fergus leader of invading armyCongolese Woman asylum seekerPavel Rutowsky looking for work in the building tradeFatima Malik became nurse in N.H.S.O’Carroll family driven to Scotland from hunger

GEOGRAPHYOFDOnEGALQuIZ

• Letterkenny• Sea lochs or inlets• Lough Swilly, Lough Foyle• DerryveaghMountains,BluestackMountains• (b)• Leitrim• (b)• (b)• (c)• (b)• Coriander• Slieve League Cliffs