Yvonne Green - Summer Holidays in Co. Kerry
Title
Yvonne Green - Summer Holidays in Co. Kerry
Description
Creator
Caroline McGrotty
Source
Yvonne Green
Transcription
Yvonne Green
Caroline – When you were young, where did you meet other Deaf people? In Deaf clubs or others? Can you tell me about it?
Yvonne – My family are all Deaf and my parents were always involved with the Deaf Community bringing us to Deaf clubs and every summer we all went to Kerry and stayed on a caravan site with other Deaf people where we all had our own caravans. We were with other families who had hearing children but they could sign because their parents were deaf. The frustrating thing was that it always rained but we still had a good time!
Caroline – Typical Irish weather!
Yvonne - My mother was always complaining saying “Kerry always rains!!” But all I have is good memories of it! We used to take turns in having BBQs.
Caroline – How long did you stay for? 1 week, 2 weeks?
Yvonne - Because we had our caravan, we sometimes would stay for up to 1 month, usually around July or August depending when school would finish.
Caroline – All deaf people only?
Yvonne – Yeah! But some of the caravans would be rented, people from Dublin came down but we still talked with them. When I meet people who went caravanning with us, we always remember the good times we had in Kerry. Now it’s a shame as it’s died out now.
Caroline – It’s gone now? When was the last time you were there?
Yvonne - I think I was about 10 years old; my mother was a bit worried about money as we had to pay rent for the land that we used, not forgetting she was a single mother because my father passed away when I was young. So my mother decided to get rid of it and after that people started to follow suit. My mother went back to it but said it was very quiet and wasn’t anything like before. Before the children would be excited about it but as they grew up, their tastes changed, getting bored of it and had their own lives now.
When I was small, I kinda had my own business. You know the wine bottles? Well I would collect all of them and then go to the beach collecting bags full of shells that I found, washed them and used clay and then stuck them onto the bottle. I would sell them to Deaf people for £2 - £5!! I still have one here in my house! See over there!
Caroline – Oh yeah that’s right! Can we have a look at it?!
Yvonne - No problem!
*gets shell bottle*
Yvonne – I made big ones aswell as this one and sold the big ones but I kept this for myself. See all the shells I’ve put on them!
Caroline – What’s this brown stuff?
Yvonne – Clay I think! My mother helped to buy it for me. I put the clay on, then stuck the shells onto it and then painted varnish to make it shine because it looked a bit dull. My mother’s friends still have it! I couldn’t believe it!
Caroline – Maybe it’s a good idea for a future business venture!
Yvonne – I thought it was best to keep it…
Caroline – Like a good memory from your holidays in Kerry.
Yvonne – Yeah…
Caroline – When you were young, where did you meet other Deaf people? In Deaf clubs or others? Can you tell me about it?
Yvonne – My family are all Deaf and my parents were always involved with the Deaf Community bringing us to Deaf clubs and every summer we all went to Kerry and stayed on a caravan site with other Deaf people where we all had our own caravans. We were with other families who had hearing children but they could sign because their parents were deaf. The frustrating thing was that it always rained but we still had a good time!
Caroline – Typical Irish weather!
Yvonne - My mother was always complaining saying “Kerry always rains!!” But all I have is good memories of it! We used to take turns in having BBQs.
Caroline – How long did you stay for? 1 week, 2 weeks?
Yvonne - Because we had our caravan, we sometimes would stay for up to 1 month, usually around July or August depending when school would finish.
Caroline – All deaf people only?
Yvonne – Yeah! But some of the caravans would be rented, people from Dublin came down but we still talked with them. When I meet people who went caravanning with us, we always remember the good times we had in Kerry. Now it’s a shame as it’s died out now.
Caroline – It’s gone now? When was the last time you were there?
Yvonne - I think I was about 10 years old; my mother was a bit worried about money as we had to pay rent for the land that we used, not forgetting she was a single mother because my father passed away when I was young. So my mother decided to get rid of it and after that people started to follow suit. My mother went back to it but said it was very quiet and wasn’t anything like before. Before the children would be excited about it but as they grew up, their tastes changed, getting bored of it and had their own lives now.
When I was small, I kinda had my own business. You know the wine bottles? Well I would collect all of them and then go to the beach collecting bags full of shells that I found, washed them and used clay and then stuck them onto the bottle. I would sell them to Deaf people for £2 - £5!! I still have one here in my house! See over there!
Caroline – Oh yeah that’s right! Can we have a look at it?!
Yvonne - No problem!
*gets shell bottle*
Yvonne – I made big ones aswell as this one and sold the big ones but I kept this for myself. See all the shells I’ve put on them!
Caroline – What’s this brown stuff?
Yvonne – Clay I think! My mother helped to buy it for me. I put the clay on, then stuck the shells onto it and then painted varnish to make it shine because it looked a bit dull. My mother’s friends still have it! I couldn’t believe it!
Caroline – Maybe it’s a good idea for a future business venture!
Yvonne – I thought it was best to keep it…
Caroline – Like a good memory from your holidays in Kerry.
Yvonne – Yeah…
Collection
Citation
Caroline McGrotty, “Yvonne Green - Summer Holidays in Co. Kerry,” Deaf Lives Ireland, accessed April 25, 2024, https://deaflivesireland.omeka.net/items/show/2083.