Ireland goalkeeping legend Packie Bonner has joined a drive to record the experiences of people from his native Donegal who worked in Scotland during the last century.
The former Celtic goalkeeper is to attend drop-in events in Glasgow and Edinburgh organised to gather photographic evidence of the experience of Donegal people who worked in Scotland between 1940 and 1990.
The photographs will eventually form the basis of a major exhibition.
The long tradition of Donegal people taking seasonal work in Scotland has led to strong links with Glasgow and Edinburgh. Bonner’s former club Celtic was founded to alleviate poverty among Irish migrants by raising money for charity.
People with photographs showing working life in Scotland in the last century are being urged to attend this week’s events so that their pictures can be scanned for the exhibition.
Donegal county council heritage officer Dr Joseph Gallagher said the Scottish migrant workers were overlooked and “considered too ordinary” to be recorded for many years.
Dr Gallagher said: “Emigration from Donegal to Scotland was particularly high during the 1950s and 1960s. With the passage of time, the opportunities to record first-hand accounts of the experiences of Donegal people working in Scotland are disappearing. We’re keen to capture stories and images while we can and to celebrate the working lives of Donegal people in Scotland.”
Organised in partnership with the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies, the exhibition will examine the working conditions in Scotland as well as the types of work Donegal people undertook. It is expected to include season workers, those who eventually settled in Scotland those who returned home to Donegal in later years.
Industries in the exhibition are expected to include farming, transport and construction, featuring the famous tunnel tigers, bridge, dam and hydro-electric scheme builders. Domestic service, shipbuilding, retail, teaching and religious life will also feature.
Dr Gallagher said the events will be open to the public and will include a short opening presentation. There will also be a facility to record the memories of Donegal people who worked in Scotland at the time.
“We want to hear from Donegal people who worked in Scotland especially those who have a story to tell, photographs to share or documents and small objects to lend that could form part of this exhibition,” Dr Gallagher said.
The first event takes place at the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park in Glasgow on October 3 (10am-2pm). A second drop-in takes place later the same day at the Glasgow City Chambers library (4pm-8pm) while a third takes place on Friday October 4 at the Irish consulate in Edinburgh (12.30pm-4-40pm).
Further information can be obtained by emailing the council’s heritage office at donegalscotland@donegalcoco.ie
