Emigrants on 'Save Roscommon': 'I'd like to return to the county I left'

Roscommon people around the world have been sending photos of support for the Save Roscommon campaign against plans to redraw the county border, highlighting how important county identity is to them as emigrants

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Gavin Murphy, Eoin Mannion, Davina Donnelly, James Martin, Darragh Donnelly, Sarah Kelly, Odette Pettit and Peter Domican in Abu Dhabi. James Martin: “Aside from the obvious economic consequences, there's the social factors. Living abroad, I'm always asked where am I from in Ireland and my first answer is Roscommon, because if I say Athlone, people assume Westmeath. I'm proud of where I'm from, as are many of the people who will be affected, and when I come home, I'd like to see the boundary sign in Athlone and not in the middle of our parish!”

Luke Naughton (from Summerhill) in Sydney, Australia: “I Skype the mother regularly enough – she loves that I am doing well here in Australia but she would love for me to be at home. It would have been great to get a job at home. Changing the county boundary is different. No jobs is one thing but now they are taking away my identity. We all value our identity more when we are away – it is a badge of honour so everyone understands. I’d like to be able to at least return to the county I left. In fairness, it’s the least this government could do.”

Thu Jan 28 2016 - 15:57

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