My gmail address of "tourmakeady" has sparked inquiries. Curious minds wonder what it means. It is simply the English version of the town, Tuar Mhic Eadaigh, which is the village home of my material grandmother, Margaret Heneghan O'Donovan. The property is still in the family, operated by Cousins Padraic and Breege Heneghan as a tourist B&B catering to fishing and outdoor activities. The photos from the main house look out to Loch Mask. One shows the cottage where Gramma lived until she ran away from home at age 16--destination, Boston--only to end up in California. The flowers are in Cousin Sara's greenhouse in Tourmakeady.
So much of my childhood imagination was colonized by Gramma's stories about this spot on the planet that is a root for me--as much as anyplace I actually inhabited. The sense of place of both County Mayo and Leap in County Cork informed my early consciousness about things that remain fascinating. Much of the breakfast table talk of my early childhood consisted of teaching us about those "damn Brits" and the cunning courage of the Irish in escaping and dodging their oppression. A fitting place to start this journey.
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