From Mayo to Westmeath: Voices of Resettlement an Oral History Project

In the first decades of the Irish State, the Land Commission helped resettle small farm-holders from the west of the country. Small numbers of families were relocated to lands in Westmeath, Meath and other counties in the midlands. They were provided with between ten and forty acres of land, and a house and some farm buildings were built for them.

In 1955, a group of nine families moved from Cregganbaun in south-west Mayo and one family from Bohola, to Kiltoom, near Castlepollard. They were apportioned lands which were once part of the Pakenham Estate. Leaving family, friends and neighbours was heart-breaking and difficult, but there was a realisation that change was needed. They were welcomed by their new neighbours and, over time, the families integrated and formed new friendships.

The Voices of Resettlement Oral History Project to capture and preserve the recollections and stories from some of those families who migrated, particularly those who have memories, or second-generational memories, of that move from Mayo to Westmeath in the 1950s. This will create an oral history collection to preserve these stories for both the local community and those interested in the history of the county.

Join Adrian Roche Oral Historian from The History Trail for an illustrated presentation on this project. A selection of documents and artefacts from the time of resettlement will also be on display at the event.