Life On The Beara Peninsula, Co. Cork, Ireland 1989

Eileen O’Sullivan loves her rural life in the parish of Cahermore, near the village of Allihies at the top of the Beara Peninsula. Originally from Cork City, Eileen O’Sullivan is the 1987 Cork regional winner of the Housewife of the Year. She lives with her husband Michael and their two sons Brian and Morgan on a farm in Cahermore, near the village of Allihies on the Beara Peninsula in County Cork. Eileen and Michael spend an afternoon footing turf on Goula mountain which Eileen admits is not her favourite task as she finds it very physically demanding. Especially as she has to make dinners and heat the house when she comes down from the bog. Give me gas central heating any day of the week; I’ve no pride where turf is concerned. Eileen reminds herself that she has it easy compared to the women before her who brought the turf down from the bog by donkey and cart, and then had to start a fire and bake bread and do a day’s work in the home. There are spectacular views from the top of Goula and if the weather is fine, working on the bog on is a pleasure, especially if Eileen can also listen to the radio. Imagine sitting down in that scenery listening to Gay Byrne, what more could you ask for? On the first Thursday in every month Eileen and Michael O’Sullivan go to the fair day in Castletownbere, the principle town on the Beara Peninsula. This is the one day everyone goes to town and meets up. It’s a social outing really rather than a shopping spree. Eileen does her main shopping in Castletownbere every Friday. Michael looks after all of the finances and she lets him, even though she would be better at it. I have no financial worries; I don’t know what’s going on. Berehaven Harbour is a regionally important fishing port and Castletownbere is a very cosmopolitan place. Eileen recalls a Russian factory ships operating in the port and the Russian fishermen came ashore to buy goods unavailable in Russia. Eileen has visited nearby Garnish Island but has not been to Dursey or Bere Island. She keeps promising that she will take the ferry to Bere Island with her sons and go cycling around the island, but it never happens. This episode of ‘I Live Here’ was broadcast on 1 November 1989.