One early morning I went to the coast of Blacksod Bay near Belmullet, County Mayo, and found this memorial place with fresh flowers and some toys. A little paper said. "For Tisha and Niall". Asking in our B&B I heard this sad story:
Last year a traveller family took place in Belmullet. As ever, they were not really welcome. The travellers still have to fight against prejustice. One day two of their children went out to the sea in a dingy, a little boat. Both, the 5 year old and the 13 year old drowned. Any help came to late. It was one year and one week before I found the place where they were brought to the coast. One week before the family went back to remember the children's death and they left the flowers. They will return every year. What a sad reason to keep the travellers rolling on. The good in the bad was that the people of Belmullet realized: The travellers are normal people with normal feelings, with bad times like everybody else can have.
Some 100 meters down the coast there is another memorial, with toys again - and so I heard the other sad story:
One month after the death of the two travellers children a Belmullet father and his son wanted to carry some sheep over to an isle. They went out with the boat. Nobody really knows how it happened, but the boat sank in the middle of the bay, the father was rescued, but the son was never found, although first he could hold on to some wood, he had no chance.
So - even that both families have a different lifestyle, they have to deal with the same situation. I don't know if they are in contact, but when I found these two places of remembrance I only could hope that they found a way to share their despair regardless the prejustice against the travellers.
Anyway, my prayers and thoughts were the same for both families …… |
