Have Roscommon set as my loction but live in London. My parents are both from the lovely county Roscommon and spent each Easter and Summer with the grandparents and family/friends around Ireland. I married a girl from Offaly so we are fairly frequent flyers back and forth from ireland. Played football over here for a couple of seasons but come championship times a lot of teams got fellas over from Ireland for the weekend and put me off as other friends were then placed on bench in their favour. Fairly new to HS but enjoy many of the threads plus some of the comments from the more regular posters.

ced1980 (Roscommon) - Posts: 62 - 31/07/2009 12:01:47    371203

My sister-in-law was telling me about this thread, haven't been on HS for months so had missed it - pure quality from start to finish, great to hear the stories, lots of the London ones reminded me of the film "Kings" as someone else mentioned. Dubfan in Denver, that was the most uplifting thing I've ever read, despite the obvious sadness - West Awake, stuff of legend. Thanks to everyone for such wonderful tales and to Jayo for starting a great thread.

As for me, I've just moved back to Ireland after soldiering with the Bomber on the hard pitches of Bermuda in 35 degree heat, I'll miss the easy life but after being in Clones, Thurles and Croker since I've been home this is a great place to live...just need to find a job now...

Bermuda Gael (Monaghan) - Posts: 106 - 01/08/2009 23:17:38    373316

Someone was looking for this?

black&white (Sligo) - Posts: 1628 - 25/05/2010 17:46:20    658197

Just to add to the list, as I missed this first time round. Not strictly an exile, rather a convert. Born and bred in Southampton, Hampshire, lived here all my life. Started following Gaelic games from early 2006 onward. I make two or three journeys across to Ireland each year to see some games. Follow London as well.

Tongo (UK) - Posts: 1795 - 26/05/2010 08:04:46    658482

This thread is the most up lifting read ever. DUBFANABROAD, your story created a lump in the back of my throat. You should be writing a book,truly emotional. I can however relate to the london storys as I spent two years in London working. The first year was the most lonely year of my life. My memories are of busy streets, buildings and more buildings and everyone too busy or wary to start a conversation with a stranger. My rented apartment was a box and im not messing. Sunday mornings was when i would miss home most. The emptyness of not walking down to my local gaa team in Monaghan on the usual sunday for training left a gap. The memories of the slagging, laughter and the general feeling of belonging to a parish was a distant memory. London can be a dark place depending on the area you live. The area I lived in was full of our eastern counterparts and they kept to themselves. The lads from work were dead on but were spice boys (term used by crossmaglen people). Another words they were more into their looks than football or drinking. Their saturday night consisted of shopping for the day and spending the latter half of it in the gym and on the sunbeds. And then that night they would go to a club, one with the most mirrors on the walls. To be honest their annual events of a weekend made sticking forks into my eyes seem more appealing. So my weekend would consist of going for a run on a friday evening and i would scour the streets for an irish newsagents that would sell the Northern Standard so that I could catch up with home. My phone calls with family on a saturday morning yielded only a small amount of gossip so the Northern Standard was my lifeline. The saturday night was a lonely 3in1 with the x factor or someother pathetic reality show. I would wake up on occasions and forget that i was so far from home. My job was a good job but with high rent and high living costs the opportunity to get back home was a once a year job. The annual texts from friends at home was good but the link between myself and them was broken even if we didnt want to admit it. I suppose my lonely life had to be as a result of my personality. I didnt quite know
After a year in this particular area in London I had to make a decision, Either I go home or I try to make London my home. I moved to another area of london and joined Tir Connell Gaels (DONEGAL CLUB).
My life did get better and this was with the help of Tir Conaill Gaels in London. They took me in, treated me very well and my social life started to get a meaning. Training was very enjoyable but as work came first I could only get to a limited amount of sessions. However the team would regularly meet up and have the crack in the pubs and so on. As i look back on my time in london, I know that without the GAA my time in london would of been alot shorter
Im now home this couple of years and am building a house with the women from over the border

MuineachanAbu (Monaghan) - Posts: 660 - 26/05/2010 13:30:29    658827

Cheers black&white, it was me that was looking for it. A great thread, especially the heart rending tale from dubfanabroad.

Wests_Awake (Galway) - Posts: 877 - 26/05/2010 14:52:42    658943

dubfan that was the first and prob the last post on HS that gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes!

rebelsrock (Cork) - Posts: 550 - 26/05/2010 15:10:43    658980

Some great stories. As an Englishman, it is hard to comprehend the effect and impact of the local GAA club on the local people, particularly in rural areas. These stories have helped to bring home how GAA clubs are more than simply sports clubs, they are a way of life.

Tongo (UK) - Posts: 1795 - 26/05/2010 16:08:47    659077

Been in London for 20 years. Had a green card for the states and went over to New York. This was when gun crime was massive over there late 80s and the end of the local news carried a figure which was the number of murders that year, a runnign total. After about 6 weeks decided it was too hectic when I got into a cab and the taxi driver had a gun and was waving it about. Got out of the taxi to find a junkie smoking crack outside my appartment door in the lower east side. Arrived in lodnon as Ireland was in perpetual recession. Worked in pubs for a while until I got a job in finance. Played some hurling as a way of meeting up with lads and for the craic but training always preceeded a few pints!! Always have stayed in Irish parts of London and always went to irish pubs. Remember the old days when pubs in England shut at 3 on a sunday and so you had to be in a irish pub for the lock in to watch the hurling on channel 4. I also remember the birth of setanta, the setatnta train to Liverpool for teh ireland holland play off and the tailing off of young irish coming over. My generation were the last to come over until recent years. It does feel as if there is a lost generation of irish in London as loads came over right up to the mid 90s but then it stopped until a few years ago.

Been here 20 years, would like to return but doubt I ever will. I get home at least 8 times a year. Still always hate it as the plane takes off from Ireland. But I can't complain as I've been lucky.

Puddersthecat (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1692 - 26/05/2010 16:52:36    659167

puddersthecat.kikenny.
thats a nice story u told there fair play.
and 2 all the other irish abroad , god speed every one of u .

ta32 (Tyrone) - Posts: 4907 - 26/05/2010 18:16:43    659304