(PRWEB) October 13, 2002
"Working Lives 2  From Dawn till Dusk", the second book in the Working Lives series from As Dúchas Dóchas, the company committed to the study and research of history and folklore in the West County Limerick area, will be launched on Friday, 8 November at 7.30 p.m. in The Heritage Centre, Adare by Bob Collins, Director General of Radio TeilifÃs Ãireann.
This is the second publication for the Newcastle West based company and again marks the successful partnership of Limerick County Council with FÃS in the sponsorship of the project. Having already published valuable research in the form of "Working Lives - Memoirs of Rural Ireland", this publication represents a further step in showing the importance of local history and is an indication of the positive role that projects like this one can achieve in their areas.
"Working Lives 2 - From Dawn till Dusk" includes personal accounts and contributions from twenty six people with West Limerick connections. The stories are candid and emotive and tell of experiences during the latter years of the colony and the early years of the State, including the War of Independence, the Civil War, The Economic War and the Second World War. There are stories of emigration and immigration, of travel near and far, of how the coming of electricity intrigued the countryside and how it brought the dancehalls and milking parlours to life. Also included is a photo section and profiles of the towns and villages in the project area.
Folklore and heritage are words we are often suspicious of, but at their basic level mean the customs, traditions and histories a body of people holds in common, and in this instance, the people of West Limerick. This volume will help to open the eyes of the wider community to the culture recorded in this book, ranging from farming practices to family life, from storytelling to traditional crafts and from holy days to holy wells, fairs, festivals and superstitions. Along with this, storytelling has forever formed part of our folklore and oral traditions and these indigenous traditions are deeply embedded in the Irish psyche, constituting a major part of who we are as a people. This volume of work continues that great tradition, a tradition which is continuously explored and reflected in the work of many of our greatest writers.
Folklore is that part of our culture which is transmitted orally, without the use of writing or reading, and it covers a wide range of people's traditions from past times to the present day. It is a dynamic thing, in constant change, passed from one generation to the next, or as the Irish language says, "ó ghlúin go glúin", literally, from knee to knee. Oral folklore is a significant facet of our heritage because it often provides the only source of information for many traditions that have not been recorded or written down. It studies life itself, examining cultures which are still alive, relating elements of them to the past and forgotten practices, and enabling us to document how culture has changed throughout the years.
Our interest in our "roots" and in life histories represents an intuitive response to a deeply felt need for a sense of personal, family and community continuity. We live in a hectic, rapidly changing, highly mobile world, where family have become physically and emotionally disconnected. People yearn to reconnect in some way with the continuity of their family's or antecedents' experience. This feeling of continuity was once taken for granted when three or four generations of a family lived close together, interacted, and passed on their traditions, values, stories, beliefs, and historical experiences to each successive generation. Now, much of it has been lost.
The interviewing and information collection such as was done for this volume serves as a tool to help all generations talk to one another, an excuse to begin talking about some important things with older relatives, and perhaps to get to know them better. Maybe one person in ten thousand will ever actually write an autobiography, but virtually everyone can talk one in their own words, to an interested listener.
This book is a credit to David O'Grady and Catherine Hartigan, management of As Dúchas Dóchas, and along with the other staff members; Howard Barlow, BJ Broderick, EilÃs Creedon, Anne Hanlon, John Kavanagh, Kevin Kelly, Ingrid Klug, Mary McEnry, Noleen Meehan, Liam Mulvihill, Barbara Reynolds, Mary Roche, Loretta Ryder, Susan Sparling, Angela Walker and Elizabeth Woulfe, have shown exceptional devotion and enthusiasm and can be proud of the contribution made in this publication.
Launching the book on the night will be Bob Collins who was born in Killarney, County Kerry and grew up in Adare, County Limerick. He was educated at by the Christian Brothers, Adare from primary up to Leaving Cert and later at University College Dublin where he obtained a BA degree in Philosophy and a Masters degree in Business Administration. He joined RTÃ in 1975 as a secretary and moved through the ranks until he was appointed to the post of Director-General, the most senior executive post in the RTÃ organisational structure, in April 1997.
Following on the huge success of their first publication "Working Lives - Memoirs of Rural Ireland", described by MainchÃn Seoighe as "an unusual and fascinating book", this second volume will again charm and enchant and show the rich tradition and heritage of people in the West Limerick area.
"Working Lives 2  From Dawn till Dusk" will be selling on the night of the launch and in shops locally at a price of Â10 paperback and Â20 for the hardback edition. Suitable for all ages, it will make the perfect addition to anyone's bookshelf and make an ideal present for those at home or abroad this Christmas. Contact As Dúchas Dóchas at (069) 62215 or visit http://www.asduchasdochas.pro.ie for further information.