A SLIGO native has made an emotional return to his home in Ireland, entering it for the first time in 40 years thanks to the work of the Aisling Project.
For the past 15 years staff at the London-based organisation, which is in its 20th year, have attempted to persuade Sean Davey to visit his childhood home – a small cottage in Co. Sligo.
But after decades grafting within the London construction industry saw Sean turn to alcohol, he consistently refused to make the journey back, feeling unable to deal with the ‘shame’.
Even when his parents passed away in the 1980s, although devastated by the loss, Sean felt he could not return home.
“We have known Sean since we opened 20 years ago,” Alex McDonnell, coordinator and founder of the Aisling Return to Ireland Project told The Irish Post.
“He left Ireland roughly 20 years before that and worked in the construction industry in London but fell into alcoholism for the past 20 years or so and refused to go home.
“So for the past 15 years or so we have been trying to bring him back to Ireland on one of our trips. It’s taken this long to get them there.”
The charity finally facilitated Sean’s first trip back to Sligo last year, where he went in search of his family home to find it shrouded by the forest it is nestled within, which is protected by Ireland’s Forestry Commission.
This month a second trip saw the organisation tackle the overgrown foliage so Sean was finally able to enter the rundown but somewhat preserved cottage.
“We got there and it was like stepping back in time,” Alex explained.
“Sean’s mother’s shoes were there in the press, her coat was hanging on the back of the door and there were pictures on the walls. It was like she had only just left,” he added.
“It was a very emotional time for Sean and it was his first sober trip back home which is another big achievement for him.”
Sean used the opportunity to explore his former homestead - which was left to him by his parents - and collect a few reminders of the family and memories now long passed.
“My father and mother and myself lived here in this house,” Sean said as his made his way through the cottage.
“People haven’t lived in the house here since my parents died in the 1980s, but there are a lot of memories here,” he added. “There’s many a time I walked down here from the village.”
Before leaving the property Sean managed to salvage a few items to take back to London – among them a book of mass cards for family and friends who have passed on over the years and a Child of Prague statue which stood in a corner of one of the rooms.
He had decided that it would be his last trip home.
“I had to do this this time because as people go along in life you don’t always get these chances anymore. It was only for Aisling bringing me that I’m here; they gave me this chance to come in here to my home,” he said.
“But I’m leaving now,” he added. “That’s my last trip. God bless the home, but I’m all done now. It will stay here, but I have a photo of it and good memories of it and I can’t do no more.”
The emotional occasion is one of many special moments experienced on each trip facilitated by the Aisling Project every year.
This year, as they celebrate their 20th anniversary, the charity has a total of five trips planned, where they will continue to reconnect the most vulnerable Irish men and women across London with their homeland.
“Sean’s story was a very emotional one,“ Alex admits.
“But every trip we do has stories like that, a mini success, as we like to think of them,” he added.
Later this year the charity will make a special trip to Co Mayo for two brothers who wish to bring the ashes of their third brother back home.
“We have two guys down the road from us here, two brothers living in Arlington House, who we are going to bring back for the first time this year,” Alex explains.
“There were three brothers but one of them died and the other two have wanted to bring his ashes back to Ireland for years. They finally are at the stage where we can take them, so we will do so this summer during our trip to Mayo.
He added: “They have been here since the 1940s and one has never been back home. The other hasn’t been home for a very long time, maybe since about 1962.”
With each trip the ongoing importance of the Aisling charity is reconfirmed.
They have brought more than 800 people home to Ireland over the past 20 years, and as their trips continue they also offer vital health and welfare services to many Irish men and women on a daily basis.
To date they rely on the support of volunteers, funding from the Irish Government, charity donations and fundraising initiatives to keep them going.
Just last month their annual comedy fundraiser – organised by Aisling patron Ardal O’Hanlon – saw them raise £15,000 in one night. The event, which saw O’Hanlon, Dara O’Briain and Ed Byrne all on the bill, was held at the Union Chapel venue and cost less than £20 a ticket.
The British Irish Trading Alliance has recently adopted the organisation as its official charity partner – recipient of all of its charitable funds raised.
Elsewhere, for 2014 the charity is the chosen beneficiary for funds raised at the Green Tie Ball, an evening organised by a group of Irish health professionals based in London.
Irish companies and networks across Britain have also lent their support to the organisation over the years, including the Murphy Group, Gallagher Group, Galliard Homes and the London Irish Business Society.
“The generosity and support of the Irish community in Britain has such a huge impact on the work that we do,” Alex said.
“There was a time where we were kind of under the radar as a small charity but that seems to be changing and we are very grateful for the support for the work we do,” he added.
“To be honest 20 years ago when this started it was run by volunteers and we were trying to help these men who were carrying this huge burden of shame.
“I didn’t expect to still be doing it 20 years on, but there is definitely still a need and people are still carrying that burden of shame.”
He explained: “There are still people who haven’t been able to make that trip home for decades and there are still many vulnerable Irish men and women in London with severe health and welfare needs. Unfortunately as time goes on we see those numbers increase, not decrease.”
This month the Aisling charity plans to launch a new look website, following a redesign by the Belfast-based Kainos Software firm.
The company, who have undertaken the project free of charge in support of the charity, are currently working on the site, which is due to be up and running in June.
In the meantime you can still access further information or make donations to the charity at www.aisling.org.uk
