What Dreams are Made of

By Edna McCabe

Part 14 - Declan Sets Off for America

In 1988 Declan went to Camp Neumann in America to help out as a youth leader. There wasn't much money in it but they paid his way over and his keep; and they gave him some pocket money. Declan was satisfied as it was a wonderful experience working with American boys and girls in this huge camp. They had every kind of activity and Declan specialised in interpreting the flora and fauna for the children.

The following year the manager, Steve Taylor, asked Declan to join them again. Declan was delighted but he explained that he couldn't stay permanently as they wanted him to do, because he had to return to college. They offered to sponsor him to attend college in Pennsylvania. So although we didn't know it at the time this was the beginning of Declan's future in America. In 1987 he was one of the emigrants. The Taylors treated him like one of their own. They gave him a small cabin to live in and in very cold weather supplied him with blankets and heat. They even used to meet him at the station when he was coming home from college. In return, he worked in the camp at weekends and during the week if he had time.

During Declan's stay in America he met another youth leader with whom he became great friends; we were not surprised when one year later he asked could he bring his friend home. His friend turned out to be a girl! Like Teresa she became one of our own very quickly. I remember the first morning she was in our house. She walked into the sitting room with a mug of tea in one hand and a slice of toast in the other. I knew we could put the china away.

Very soon there was another wedding and Martin, myself, Martin junior. and Teresa were on our way to America. It was a wonderful experience. Something we never imagined in all our lives. The wedding was more formal than an Irish wedding but there were other Irish people there who livened it up. There was also a crowd from Camp Neumann and we all enjoyed ourselves. Declan took us to Pennsylvania, the Empire State Buildings, Museums and the big stores.

After the wedding we all travelled back together to Ireland, where Declan and Margaret spent their honeymoon. After that they flew back to Pennsylvania to set up their new home. We got another visit to America when Declan got his Master's Degree. Martin and I and Margaret's parents were all there for the graduation. It was wonderful to hear "Declan McCabe from Ireland" being called out. We wished we had an Irish Flag with us.

On this trip we spent a day high in the mountains where the Margaret's family, the Vizzards, have a holiday home. We expected to find a little cottage in the mountains but it turned out to be a self-contained house with all modern conveniences. Declan and Joe Vizzard built a veranda at the back of the house, which is ideal for sunny days.

Such gracious living was a far cry from the start we had so long ago in our little flat in High Street. Still, even up there in the mountains, Martin and I remembered those days as some of our very happiest. Martin said he wouldn't have swapped the life we had for any other. Anyway, this time we saw even more of America as Declan took time off to show us around. We went to Washington where we saw the White House. We touched the Vietnam Wall where the names of the hundreds who died were inscribed in stone. There was a special bus, which brought us from place to place. We could get off and visit a museum or whatever and then pop on the bus again to visit the next tourist attraction. Margaret said people spend a week in Washington in order to visit all the sites and that one could spend a whole day in the White House.

Martin really enjoyed this visit, particularly when we were out in the country, as the natural environment fascinated him. On one occasion we went by cable car to the mountains, I was frightening but Martin gazed imperiously over the sights which were unfolding beneath us. Then we dined in a mountain top restaurant and browsed at souvenir shops. Then we went to see "The Dancing Horses" which are world famous; and we visited a maple syrup factory. Oh, and the wonderful flea market; it was as big as a small village. Another day we went by ferry across the lake to New York. We didn't delay there as Declan said we'd need another week just to get an overview of life in "The Big Apple".

Time passed on and soon Margaret and Declan were to have two children, Heather and Ethan. Then to our great excitement Declan got his Doctor's Degree. After some time Declan and Margaret moved on to Vermont where they are now both working in universities. At this stage we now have nineteen grandchildren.

So by now all our six children were settled and we are so proud of them all. Martin senior never stopped talking about them and I always said their dad made them the fine young people they are today. We must have done something right.

Then there came a time when, lo and behold, when I won a trip to Canada. However, before I go into that, I have to mention that Martin was born in Sligo, in 1916. For that reason he was delighted when Teresa and Martin decided to settle there. On one occasion they brought us all over the town and Martin was nostalgic when we visited the scenes of his childhood. We even went to see the house where he was born and as his relations still lived there, we were invited in. It was a trip down memory lane; and of course that trip also brought back memories of our honeymoon, which was also spent in Sligo.

Martin's brother Nick still lived in the same house we had stayed in on our wedding night. He and his wife Mai used to tell us how they were amazed that Martin managed to keep in touch with "the little one in Dublin"(me). They didn't think that Martin, the country boy, would marry a girl from the city. Very few people knew about our love story in those early days. Sadly Mai passed on, and Nick was never the same without her; they had been such a happy couple. Then too Nick passed away.

I needed to fill in that bit about Martin's Sligo background before I could tell you about our trip of a lifetime. It happened because I am always doing competitions and winning little things. However, I never won anything like the trip I won on Gay Byrne's Late Late Show. We were going to meet up with Martin's brother Jimmy, who hadn't been home to Ireland in forty-eight years. Martin was thrilled. RTE arranged everything for us. We stayed in a 5-star hotel and, as it was Christmas week, the whole place was decorated and they had the biggest Christmas tree I had ever seen.

However, Martin's eyes started to roll when he realised we were in a no-smoking corridor The young man who looked after our luggage said we could be moved the following day but Martin wouldn't hear of it, as we were only there for a short stay. So (to me) it was all rather amusing seeing Martin coming to terms with his predicament. He lost no time in finding the run of the hotel. He used to stroll through the hotel to the back entrance, which was quite a walk, go outside for his smoke and then return by the front entrance.

They make it very difficult for smokers in Canada -even in restaurants and pubs you can't find a smoking area. At breakfast Martin would wait patiently and then to go outside for a smoke. Once when we went to see Jimmy's grandchildren in a school play, we had to go outside the school gates so that Martin could have a smoke. He always respected the rules but I felt sorry for him. However, it didn't stop us enjoying ourselves.

Joe Duffy, John Creedon, and Barbara Jordan from RTE took care of us. They had a reception room in a hotel fixed up to broadcast Christmas messages from the Irish in Canada to their loved ones back home. That was all Jimmy knew. It was his daughter's (Jackie) job to have him there. At the last moment Jimmy nearly changed his mind and poor Jackie was in a panic. However, she got him there. Martin and I were in the next room ready to make our appearance. Then came the magic moment - "And now Jimmy Mac Cabe will send his message for Christmas to his brothers and sisters in Ireland." As he started speaking Joe Duffy asked, "Would you like to meet one of your brothers again?" Of course, Jim said, "Yes". However, Jim never imagined that he would see one of his brothers again because he wasn't allowed to fly, due to an inner-ear problem. With that the door opened and in walked Martin. Surprise. Surprise. It was so emotional and everyone was cheering and clapping.

Back home they all heard it and taped it. (There was a video too which we never got, but I'm still trying.) I have great memories of it all, Martin gave Jim an Irish cap and I gave him a Christmas pudding. The two long-lost brothers sang "Danny Boy." It was an occasion to remember forever - and it all happened at 6 am Canadian time.

The whole event took place in an Irish pub, "The Old Dubliner", which was run by Jacinta and Padraig Cosgrove from Crumlin in Dublin. (We discovered they knew Marie Duignam, my sister-in-law in Drimnagh.) They were a very nice couple and the morning of the broadcast they collected us at our hotel and brought us to their home, where we stayed until we were told to come to The Old Dubliner. And so for the big occasion in the pub; it was packed with Irish people who lived there in Ontario - all waiting to be on the air to their folks, relations, and friends in Ireland. It was very emotional. Some of the people actually cried. We got a great clap from everyone. A Christmas to remember!

After the reunion Martin and I went off with Jimmy, Jackie, Gerry and the children. Martin and Jimmy talked non-stop about the old days and Jim asked about each member of his family back home.

Jimmy bought Martin a pair of sandals "for comfort in the hotel", as he said; and he bought me a lovely dress. He also bought both of us a woollen hat, as there was twelve inches of snow everywhere at the time.

When the broadcast was over, the RTE crowd took us to Niagara Falls, a sight to remember. It's all that you see on TV, and a bit more. That night they also took us to a "small" pub, which would hold four of the pubs here in Ireland The music went on all night but Martin and I left them to it after a few hours.

Next day we split up to go shopping and we surprised the others as we found all the right shops and a lovely little pub where a properly dressed waiter served us bar food (pub grub to us). When it was time to return to the hotel we discovered we were only ten minutes away.

One thing we couldn't get was a cap for Martin. He had decided he'd prefer one to the woollen one Jim got him. In one of the big stores the young man thought it was very funny. Said he, "Fancy coming all the way from Ireland to Canada and you can't get a cap." Well, he was right. We settled for the woollies and at a later stage passed them on to Margaret and Declan.

After three days the RTE team had to return to Ireland but as our tickets were for one week we stayed on in Jackie's house. Jimmy and his wife Evelyn, whom we had now met, would be able to visit us.

Jackie and Gerry were so good to us. They slept in the basement and gave us their lovely double bed. They were both working so they showed us where everything was and off they went. Later we all went out for a meal (Jimmy's treat), and we visited a number of big stores.

Then we went to see Natasha and Eric in their school play. Being Christmas Santa was everywhere and all the houses, gardens and even the roads were all lit up with the Christmas lights. Having so much snow it look like Fairyland. All too soon Jackie and Gerry were seeing us off at the airport and we were soon back to Ireland again, in time for Christmas. And such a lovely welcome from all our family; and they had decorated our house for us. We had a Christmas tree, and lots of Christmas lights. It was good to be home.