The annual Michael J. Murphy Winter School, organised by Cuimhneamh, took place in Tí Chulainn Cultural Activity Center, Maphoner, Mullaghbane, South
Armagh, on the weekend of November 14th to 16th. The title for this year’s event was ‘Emigration and Immigration’.
Each year the Cuimhneamh committee chooses a theme for the school which is linked to the life and works of South Armagh’s foremost writer, folklorist, broadcaster, photographer and socialist republican.
In his lifetime Michael J. compiled probably the largest collection of oral tradition by any single individual in the English speaking world. In the last few years the school dealt with ‘The Hiring Fair’(2024); ‘Who Fears To Speak of ’98?’(2023); ‘From Our Past To Our Future(2022)’and ‘Borders and Traditions’(2017).
The reason for this year’s choice was that Michael J. was born in Eden Street, Liverpool, in 1913 of emigrant parents from Dromintee, South Armagh, and became an immigrant in 1922 when he was brought to Dromintee. He has written and broadcast extensively about the experience, especially in ‘Finding my Way’ (BBC 1963).
The school began on Friday, November 14th at 7pm when the keynote speaker Mick Lynch, former General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) in Britain, spoke to an audience of over three-hundred people.
He detailed the problems facing his parents, who were emigrants to England from South Armagh and Cork, and the struggles of the trade union movement for recognition in a hostile environment. The Cuimhneamh committee said it is immensely grateful to Mick and his wife, Mary, for taking the time to come to South Armagh and for their attendance at all of the other activities on the programme.
The Cuimhneamh committee also gave a special word of thanks to South Armagh singers Blaithín Mhic Cana and Garret Doran who enlivened the evening with songs of emigration and immigration in both Irish and English.
The next event on Friday night featured a forum, expertly chaired by local historian Úna Walsh. The panelists spoke from both an emigrant and an immigrant perspective : Csilla Toldy, an Hungarian writer who came to reside in Rostrevor, County Down; Damian Doyle, from Magheral, Annaclone, County Down, who struggled to enter the US; Sherman Hall who came from Rockville, Maryland, USA, to settle in Forkill, South Armagh ,and Conor McGinn from Bessbrook, South Armagh, who emigrated to Liverpool and was later elected to public office.
All four spoke eloquently about their experiences of emigration and immigration and the forum was then opened to the audience for questions and for an overwhelmingly positive response to all of the speakers.
On Saturday evening there was another capacity audience for readings of poetry, prose and non-fiction. This section was compered by Cuimhneamh committee member, Rosemary Tumilty, and featured readings from The Wordsmiths group from Teac Mallon Meigh, South Armagh, and the prize-winners from the writing workshops ‘Ode to Sea and Stone’ which Rosemary conducted in the weeks leading up to the Winter School.
The latter pieces were inspired by the photographs of Michael J. Murphy and some archive film from NI Screen Digital Film Archive. Cuimhneamh would like to sincerely thank Bronagh McAtasney of Northern Ireland Screen for providing the films and for her attendance on the night. Music was provided by harpist Mia Grace McMonigle and the overall winner of the ‘Ode to Sea and Stone’ writing competition was Catriona Kearns with her poem ‘Forging through Memories’.
The Saturday night concluded with an illustrated talk by Kevin Murphy entitled ‘Little South Armagh’ which centered on a community in Ontario, Canada, where many people from South Armagh settled from the early years of the nineteenth century and who made contact again in 2003 through research on the wreck of the ship ‘Hannah’ which struck ice in The Gulf of St.Lawrence in April 1849 en route from Warrenpoint to Quebec.
The final part of the weekend took place in the townland of Aghayallogue, Killeavy, South Armagh, when a sizeable crowd, including some local relatives of Jim Larkin, the renowned labour leader, gathered to unveil a plaque on the site of the Larkin family ancestral home.
Proceedings were chaired by the Cuimhneamh Treasurer, Ryan Morgan, who thanked the McGuinness family for permission to erect the plaque on the site and the unveiling was undertaken by Tommy McKearney from Moy, Co.Tyrone, a former political prisoner, author and a founding member of the Independent Workers Union. Tommy gave an eloquent speech on the importance of Jim Larkin and Mick Lynch did likewise on the legacy of Larkin and James Connolly.
The Cuimhneamh committee said it would like to thank all who helped to make this Winter School such an outstanding success: Mary Toal, Henry McCann and Dara McCoy who looked after the catering and the audio-visuals; the volunteers who directed parking at Tí Chulainn; Michael McCaul Signs for the design and manufacture of the plaque to Jim Larkin; Noelle Marks from Shanroe Photography and Seámus MacDhaibhaid from Gaeláras Mhic Ardghail for the photography; the staff of Libraries in Newry, Mourne and Down for facilitating the workshops and the photography exhibition and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for the invaluable support. Thanks also to Michael J. Murphy's daughter Winifred, who flew from London to attend our events.
The Cuimhneamh committee added that it would like to point out that "the work of Michael J.Murphy is currently being digitised in a PRONI-Nerve Centre-Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann/ The National Folklore Collection (UCD) led project entitled ‘NOW WE’RE TALKING’. Look out for further developments on our Facebook page."
