A Lifetime of Stories – Oral histories of Irish seniors in Sydney – is a documentary and web project that tells the amazing life stories of Sydney’s Irish seniors. The documentary premiered at the Irish Film Festival in Sydney and is now available free online.
A Lifetime of Stories is a 40 minute documentary and also a website with in-depth interviews with the participants.
The participants come from the four provinces of Ireland - Pat Foley, Tomás de Bhaldraithe, Marion Reilly, Marie McMillan and Damien McCloskey tell their own stories with humour, style and wisdom.
Pat Foley is 90 years young and still gracing the dancefloors of Sydney! Pat left Moyvane in County Kerry in the early 50’s and worked on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electrical scheme.
Damien McCloskey grew up in Derry and witnessed some of the tumultuous events in that city including Bloody Sunday in 1972. Damien also played snooker and was a doubles partner of Hurricane Higgins!
Marion Reilly is from Connemara and had the adventure of a lifetime when she travelled to Australia overland on a hippy bus in the 70’s.
Tomás de Bhaldraithe is from Dublin and is a learned Gaelic scholar and a skilled sailor of Galway hookers.
Marie McMillan is from Dublin. Marie is a skilled performer and has won numerous awards at slam poetry battles around Sydney.
A Lifetime of Stories was devised with the interviewees by director Dr Enda Murray using a workshop-based process which incorporated elements of creative writing, drama and music.
