Ann Doolan-Fox - Celtic Road Home: A Memoir

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

May God be with you and bless you;

May you see your childrens children.

May you be poor in misfortune,

Rich in blessings,

May you know nothing but happiness

From this day forward.

May the road rise to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home

And may the hand of a friend always be near.

May green be the grass you walk on,

May blue be the skies above you,

May pure be the joys that surround you,

May true be the hearts that love you.

Chapter 1

Dublin, Ireland: May 1969 to July 1981

Mum and Dad walking past the GPO, OConnell St.Dublin, circa mid 1950s

Doolan clan in Tottenham, London back yard, circa mid 1960s

In the second grade at Mother of Divine Grace Primary School

Spring into summer of 1969 was beginning to be quite a pleasant one, considering how typical Irish summers go.i.e. cloudy, rainy, windy and chilly. Mum and Dad had made the decision to bring their Doolan brood back home onto Irish soil. Both had ventured to London during the late 1940s for prospects of a better life, as Ireland had little to no work at the time following the Second World War in Europe. Being a smaller island than England, it took longer for the economy to bounce back and therefore, forced a lot of its young people to uproot their lives and move to other countries like England and the United States. Sadly, as in other times of massive emigration, the majority of those young people would never return home again, except for brief visits to cherished loved ones.

Dad was born on a cold November day in 1921 as one of nine children. Gerard Mary Doolan started out Life on Finn St. near the infamous Phoenix Park. Much of his strict childhood days during The Depression would often include going without enough food to eat since there were so many siblings. Way back in those days, Irish families were usually larger ones, with birth control not even up for discussion within the confines of the strict Catholic faith. Everyone was out to survive in the best way possible and I often wonder about how your personality/character is set from the time you are just six years old. I cant help but believe that those very meager beginnings helped to form a lot of bitterness with my father that would unfortunately carry on throughout most of his lifetime.

Mum, on the other hand was a country girl at heart. Although born in Sligo, she spent most of her youth living between Counties Clare and Galway; with both locations on the stunning west coast of Ireland. Angela McMahon was one of the last to leave home and was already into her early thirties when she made the decision to go and work in London as a secretary. Prior to that, she had entertained the idea of joining the Dominican Nuns but, fortunately for my siblings and me, it didnt work out and she met my dad a short time afterwards. It had been really brave on her part to leave home during those days. She earned a bit of macho slack from one of her brothers with; not only was she making a huge mistake, but that London would prove too tough for her mild and meek country manner. Mums determination and hard-working nature however would soon prove him otherwise. Like mother like daughter!

Our parents had first met on a blind date in a well-known park in London called Ennismore Gardens (through an Irish magazine called Irelands Own) in the early 1950s. Dad was getting over a lost love from home at the time, while Mum had been dating an Irish man who had been employed as a London Bobby. So, I guess you could say, they were both on the rebound. Hence, the beginnings of the Doolan Clan; otherwise I wouldnt be penning this story. So, in order of appearance: first on the scene came Tommy, my oldest brother in October, 1955, then Kay, my sister in January of 1958. Paul hit the scene in April of 1959 and last but not least, yours truly in September of 1962. Times were tight in those days, especially for my Mum who always held full-time secretarial jobs, (until I reached the age of 13-14) so she was a real Trooper in every sense of the word.

While memories of living in Tottenham, north London in the mid-1960s remain very sparse, I do recall arriving in Dublin fresh off the boat into the Dun Laoghaire port in May of 1969. I was a mere six years old and about to embark on a whole new life in my native Emerald Isle. It was to be an exciting new venture.So amazing at that age, seeing everything around you in such gigantic form. At least, that is always how we remember our childhood days, right?