A NEW podcast is exploring the lives of Irish women who made London their home, from the 1960s through to the 1990s.
For Renee Gallagher, the story is personal.
Born in Sligo, Gallagher moved to London in the late 1980s and has lived there ever since.
Around 15 years ago she began volunteering with London-based charity Ashford Place before climbing the ladder to become its CEO.
It was through Ashford Place that Gallagher became involved in Aunties in England, a six-part podcast documenting the lives of 12 Irish women who moved to London between the 1960s and 1990s.
The project began after Gallagher received an email out of the blue from Jenny McEneaney, an Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic Equity at the London School of Economics.
“They were looking to explore the lives of Irish women who had emigrated to London.”
“We were looking at the reasons they left Ireland, their experience of London when they first arrived, and how they thought their Irish identity lasted or didn’t last.”
Ashford Place helped connect the researchers with Irish women who could take part, bringing together 12 women from different generations.
The youngest was in her early 50s, while the oldest was in her late 80s.
The result is a collection of very different stories, but Gallagher said there were also common threads running through them.
One was work.
“We found that what these women had in common was how easy it was to get jobs at the time and how easy it was to come and go from jobs,” she said.
But while job's were available, their experiences of being Irish in the workplace were very different.
“Some people felt that they were picked on because they were Irish, while others, including myself, didn’t have any bad experiences because of it.”
For some of the women, London also offered a sense of independence.
“A lot of them loved the freedom in London, around their work and social life,” Gallagher said.
“Most of them were happy to be here. There was that feeling of, ‘What would I go back for?’”
Gallagher said the Ireland of the 1980s was “just a really hard time back home”, while life in London brought its own challenges.
“In the 80s and the early 90s you had the bomb threats, the Underground always coming to a standstill, and you had the Irish voice in the office, you know?”
The podcast was partly inspired by author Catherine Dunne’s work on Irish emigration and her book An Unconsidered People.
Dunne later became involved with the podcast herself.
Jenny McEneaney, Catherine Dunne, Rosa Gilbert, Armine Ishkanian, Renee Gallagher at The Irish Embassy for the launch (Photo by Ashford Place)Gallagher said the women’s stories showed why recording these memories matters.
“What I found so interesting was how we all have such different experiences,” she said.
“But then I suppose the decades themselves; the 60s, 70s and 80s are very different decades.”
The name 'Aunties in England' came from the women themselves, who joked about the special status they had when they visited family back in Ireland.
“They were popular when they were going home because they would be bringing things,” Gallagher said.
“We would also be very handy for a place to stay if the nieces and nephews want to come and visit.
“We’re not necessarily the best auntie, but we’re always the popular auntie.”
The first series was launched at the Irish Embassy in London last year, with the ambassador even joking that he was disappointed none of the aunties had brought him any fivers.
After the series was finished, it was played for the women at Ashford Place, where it caused quite the stir.
“People really enjoyed it and were nodding along, and it brought a lot of lively conversation,” Gallagher said.
The response has left the door open for more stories to be recorded.
“We will try to do more because it definitely opened up a desire amongst others to take part,” Gallagher said.
“We are definitely hoping to do a second set of episodes.”
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