Ahern to launch book sharing schoolchildren’s memories

A remarkable collection of Westmeath folklore and history is set to be unveiled later this month thanks to the work of Killucan man, Shay Callaghan, who is next Wednesday, May 28, to see the launch of his new book, Tales from Westmeath’s History and Folklore from the Schools Collection.

On hand to officially launch the book at the Mullingar Park Hotel at 8pm, will be former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, while acting as master of ceremonies for the occasion will be historian Seamus O’Brien.

The book, a labour of love over nearly four years, is drawn from the Dúchas Schools Folklore Collection – an ambitious nationwide project undertaken in the 1930s.

Between 1937 and 1939, children from more than 5,000 primary schools across Ireland were asked to collect oral history and folklore from their parents, grandparents, and neighbours.

They documented everything from fairy tales and local legends to customs, proverbs, historical events, and personal anecdotes. The initiative was led by the Irish Folklore Commission, and it created one of the most significant repositories of folk memory in Europe.

Shay has long been fascinated by this rich archive of thousands of handwritten stories from every corner of Ireland – much of which is now digitised and available online – and was naturally particularly drawn to the entries from Westmeath.

“The Schools Collection is a fascinating resource, and I’ve always been eager to share these stories,” says Shay.

“By adding my own introductions and personal reflections, I hope to offer a deeper connection to the past and give readers a glimpse of life as it was in Westmeath many years ago. This book is all about highlighting the writings of these children from 1937/38s, it’s all about them and their version of the words spoken to them by their elders at that time.”

Whether you’re a history buff, a local resident, teacher, student or simply curious about Westmeath’s rich heritage, this book is an essential read.

“Some schools had up to 200 stories,” he notes, “and there were between 60 and 70 schools in Westmeath that took part.”

Naturally, with that quantity of material, not all could be included and the result is a curated selection spanning 17 chapters and 368 pages, brought to life with striking charcoal illustrations by local artist Tommy Bulger.

“I was always interested in history,” says Shay, who turns 86 this year. “I’ve known some of the people who were actually involved in collecting the stories back in the 1930s. That makes it all the more meaningful.”

Shay’s birth year, 1939, coincides with the final year of the Schools Collection project. He recalls that the years the project ran, from 1937 to 1939, were turbulent times, marked by the economic war between Ireland and Britain and the looming outbreak of World War II.

Dúchas

The process of producing the book was a real labour of love, and Shay secured permission from the Dúchas project, to ensure the work complied with copyright requirements, and has ensured each story reproduced in the book includes the name of the school, the teacher overseeing the collection, and the original informant.

Not all of those schools exist today. Many have since closed or merged, and Shay sees the book as a kind of bridge to that earlier era. “I think it’s fascinating,” he says.

“The stories create a link back to those schools, and to the people who passed through them.”

Some of the stories are striking in their immediacy. One features a child who interviewed an elderly man who was 14 years old during the Great Famine – offering a direct link to one of the darkest periods in Irish history. Others offer glimpses into more everyday aspects of rural life, describing how communities functioned, what people believed, and how they entertained themselves.

Shay’s selections range across the county – from Athlone to Mullingar; taking in Ballinahown, Moate, Ballymore and Drumraney in the south to Kinnegad and Rochfortbridge in the east, and up to Castlepollard and Delvin in the north.

The illustrations by Tommy Bulger add a powerful visual element. “I’m very impressed with them,” says Shay. The printing was also kept local, as Temple Print in Athlone handled production.

At €20, Shay believes the book will especially appeal to older generations who might be less familiar with the online archive. “A lot of older people would know some of the children who collected the stories,” he points out. “Or even know who the people were whom they interviewed.”

Shay has a deep connection to the changing face of rural Ireland. He recalls a time when his own village had a pub, a tailor, two shops, and a forge. Some of the schools mentioned in the book – like Knockaville – have long since vanished, but through Shay’s work, their stories remain.

Shay is no stranger to writing. He previously published a detailed history of the Bord na Móna operations in Ballivor Bog.

A retired farmer, for many years, Shay had a mushroom enterprise employing 40 people and also spent some time in politics, having served for several years as a member of Westmeath County Council.

In fact, he was chairman in June 1991 when the new bridge over the River Shannon in Athlone was opened by then-Taoiseach Charles Haughey – his name appears on a commemorative plaque on the bridge.

Married to Kathy for 57 years, a proud father of seven and grandfather of 15, Shay remains an avid reader and lifelong learner. “If I’m not writing, I’m reading,” he says.

Shay’s believes his work proves, the voices of the past still have much to tell us – if we’re willing to listen.

The book launch on May 28 promises to be a celebration not just of Shay Callaghan’s work, but of a shared heritage – one preserved by schoolchildren nearly a century ago, and now brought back to life for a new generation.

• The book will be available at local shops and in Just Books in Mullingar.