Leitrim diaspora returns for historic Gathering weekend

Leitrim’s official Gathering weekend launched in Carrick-on-Shannon with a mix of nostalgia, pride, and celebration, marking the beginning of more than 50 community-led events that took place across the county.

TDs Marian Harkin, Martin Kenny, Eamon Scanlon, and Frank Feighan were among those in attendance, joining returned emigrants and local organisers for an emotional and energising evening.

Broadcaster and journalist Carol Coleman, who returned to Leitrim from the U.S. in 2013, spoke about the complicated experience of emigration and identity. “I was always that Irish woman, or more often that Irish journalist who caused the ruckus in the White House,” she said of her time abroad. “And then when I came home it was, ‘Oh here she comes, back on her holidays.’ It was like living in a middle kingdom—you didn’t really belong there and you didn’t quite belong here either.”

Reflecting on her own family’s history of emigration, Coleman shared the story of her granduncle Jim Doherty, who left Leitrim after World War I, only to die tragically in New York during the Great Depression. “He never made it home,” she said. “It’s a good weekend to remember people like him—and also those who moved more recently, who are still undocumented, or the young people who left because they couldn't find affordable accommodation.”

Councillor Enda Stenson added heart and humour with stories of his own family’s emigration. “There was nothing like being at home when that big parcel from America arrived,” he said. “We were often sent to school in some coloured trousers from the box, and people might laugh—but it never really mattered.”

Stenson also welcomed Adrianne Donnelly, who travelled from Milwaukee for the Gathering and whose family roots trace back to Mohill. “Leitrim people never forget where they come from,” he said. “The diaspora has always looked after us.”

Despite mixed weather over the weekend, the atmosphere was upbeat. “We may not have a huge industrial base,” Stenson said, “but we have agriculture, tourism—and our people. That’s what this weekend was really about.”

The weekend featured concerts, heritage walks, sporting matches, storytelling sessions, and cultural celebrations in towns and villages across the county.

At Monday’s Ballinamore Municipal District meeting, Cllr Gary Prior praised the success of the Gathering, saying events were held “the whole way from Carrigallen to Tullaghan, enjoyed by everyone who attended.” He described it as “a great showcase for all that's good about Leitrim and connection and heritage,” and gave “a huge well done to everyone involved.”

The launch evening also included a tribute from Leitrim County Council Chief Executive Paddy O’Rourke to the late Councillor Des Guckian, who he described as a “core member” of the council. “His recent passing left a profound void,” O’Rourke said.

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Photos credit Gerry Faughnan.