Bernadette describes life growing up in rural Tyrone in the 1950s and 60s.
She talks about meeting Oliver and getting married and their involvement in the campaign for civil rights.
She tells us how life changed after Oliver was interned and all they went through since.
She reflects on the toll it took on her own health and the impact it had on their young family.
Audio Transcript
00:00:00.0 00:01:36.2 Early childhood. Became aware of politics in 1950s when Sinn Féin stood in elections.
00:01:36.2 00:05:05.5 Recalling schooldays. Growing up on a farm and doing chores. No electricity or running water at home or after she was married.
00:05:05.5 00:08:47.3 Going to ceilís and dances. Meeting Oliver. Types of dances and venues. Priests patrolling the dances.
00:08:47.3 00:09:53.6 Tradition of marriage in the townlands. Engagement, marriage and birth of sons.
00:09:53.6 00:13:19.1 Development of the civil rights movement during 1960s. Attending marches. Marches attacked by RUC. Attack at Burntollet.
00:13:19.1 00:14:34.9 Civil Rights protest becoming anti internment marches. Recalling RUC attack on marchers in Dungannon the day before Bloody Sunday.
00:14:34.9 00:15:42.5 Reflecting how after internment life in general changed, people facing hardship and harassment.
00:15:42.5 00:17:00.6 Suddenly having to manage things on her own. Children were traumatised. Taking on Oliver’s role on the farm, getting help from relatives.
00:17:00.6 00:18:40.9 Fearing for their lives after receiving threats. Describing how their children were affected by Oliver’s internment.
00:18:40.9 00:21:33.8 Recalling the morning the British army came for Oliver. The help they got from family and neighbours while Oliver was interned.
00:21:33.8 00:23:31.2 Describing the mental trauma and on-going nightmares. The stress of Oliver’s internment resulted in long term health problems.
00:23:31.2 00:26:04.1 After Oliver’s release house raids and harassment got worse. After British soldiers searching the house they would notice things either missing or smashed.
00:26:04.1 00:28:53.7 Afraid for children going to school. Fear of booby traps on doors and gates. Neighbours injured and killed.
00:28:53.7 00:32:36.3 Received threat to leave their home. Refused to go. Oliver moved the family out while he and his brother worked the farm and watched the house.
00:32:36.3 00:33:56.5 Arrest of Oliver and Bernadette’s brothers.
00:33:56.5 00:37:05.3 Impact on their two sons. Tried to shield them from what was happening. Going to university and Special Branch harassment.
00:37:05.3 00:40:38.8 Impact on community. Their families experience since 1920s. RUC raids and threats.
00:40:38.8 00:45:06.6 Sons finding out about Oliver’s internment. Kept details from sons for years. Sons went to university in England to get away from it all. Facing harassment and discrimination.
00:45:06.6 00:47:42.0 Family living in fear. Stress on Bernadette, blocked memories still coming back. Overall impact on children.
