John McGrotty - Finding Deaf People in Donegal
Title
John McGrotty - Finding Deaf People in Donegal
Description
Creator
Caroline McGrotty
Source
John McGrotty
Transcription
John McGrotty – Finding People in Donegal.
John - Before in Donegal there was loads of older Deaf people but they all left and moved away, so me and my wife we founded the Deaf Club which is based in Letterkenny. I asked one of the Christian Brothers to give me the addresses of Deaf people from Donegal which he did. I was looking through it and realised there were many other Deaf people living not far from me. So I drove to their houses and told them to please meet in Letterkenny at the Deaf Club. Many came along to Letterkenny, and everybody was delighted and we met every month and still do now even though it’s the 21st anniversary of the club!
Caroline – So the Christian Brother gave you the addresses of all these Deaf people that you had never met before?
John – No, I never met any of them! I didn’t know how, so I asked the Christian Brother if he had addresses of Deaf people living in Donegal and he gave me them; I thanked him and was happy that I found these names, thanks to Brother Fitzgerald.
1 or 2 nuns that came from Dublin, Sister Bernadette or Frankie, I’m not sure?
Caroline – I think it was Sister Bernadette?
John – Yeah, Sister Bernadette was chatting with my wife and we told her that we wanted a Deaf Club as there were lots of people in Donegal, thinking it would be best to have it in Letterkenny and wondered if she could help us. So she said she would get in touch with us by letter in the next month. So I think it was Sister Bernadette or Frankie, she had an Auntie in Letterkenny who ran the St.Vincent’s De Paul house. They discussed the idea and then agreed to let us use the house and gave us the address. Using the addresses I got from Brother Fitzgerald, we sent letters to everyone telling them to meet us in the SVP house. There were a lot of people there and we asked everyone would they like to meet every week on a Saturday or every month? Most people agreed every month would be best so we asked the lady who ran the house “What about paying rent?” She said, “No, it’s ok, it’s free”. Everybody was delighted and agreed monthly meetings would be best so we informed the lady and told her thanks! After that then, the next month, there was a great turnout and it got bigger and bigger. Everybody was happy and it’s still ongoing for 21 years!
Caroline – 21 years? I thought it was 22 years this year?
John – Yeah, 22 years in September!
John - Before in Donegal there was loads of older Deaf people but they all left and moved away, so me and my wife we founded the Deaf Club which is based in Letterkenny. I asked one of the Christian Brothers to give me the addresses of Deaf people from Donegal which he did. I was looking through it and realised there were many other Deaf people living not far from me. So I drove to their houses and told them to please meet in Letterkenny at the Deaf Club. Many came along to Letterkenny, and everybody was delighted and we met every month and still do now even though it’s the 21st anniversary of the club!
Caroline – So the Christian Brother gave you the addresses of all these Deaf people that you had never met before?
John – No, I never met any of them! I didn’t know how, so I asked the Christian Brother if he had addresses of Deaf people living in Donegal and he gave me them; I thanked him and was happy that I found these names, thanks to Brother Fitzgerald.
1 or 2 nuns that came from Dublin, Sister Bernadette or Frankie, I’m not sure?
Caroline – I think it was Sister Bernadette?
John – Yeah, Sister Bernadette was chatting with my wife and we told her that we wanted a Deaf Club as there were lots of people in Donegal, thinking it would be best to have it in Letterkenny and wondered if she could help us. So she said she would get in touch with us by letter in the next month. So I think it was Sister Bernadette or Frankie, she had an Auntie in Letterkenny who ran the St.Vincent’s De Paul house. They discussed the idea and then agreed to let us use the house and gave us the address. Using the addresses I got from Brother Fitzgerald, we sent letters to everyone telling them to meet us in the SVP house. There were a lot of people there and we asked everyone would they like to meet every week on a Saturday or every month? Most people agreed every month would be best so we asked the lady who ran the house “What about paying rent?” She said, “No, it’s ok, it’s free”. Everybody was delighted and agreed monthly meetings would be best so we informed the lady and told her thanks! After that then, the next month, there was a great turnout and it got bigger and bigger. Everybody was happy and it’s still ongoing for 21 years!
Caroline – 21 years? I thought it was 22 years this year?
John – Yeah, 22 years in September!
Collection
Citation
Caroline McGrotty, “John McGrotty - Finding Deaf People in Donegal,” Deaf Lives Ireland, accessed April 25, 2024, https://deaflivesireland.omeka.net/items/show/2081.