4,600km won't stop 60 years of loyalty from Galway 'superfan'
Though nearly 60 years have passed, this man’s love for Ireland has remained as vibrant as ever, and his cherished connection to his homeland has always been made possible thanks to the Connacht Tribune
To Whom It May Concern,
My grandfather made the journey from Cappataggle, Co. Galway, to Boston in the early 1960s. Though nearly 60 years have passed, his love for Ireland has remained as vibrant as ever, and his cherished connection to his homeland has always been made possible thanks to the Connacht Tribune.
When my mom and her five siblings were growing up in Boston, your paper was a staple at a few local stores. A truly special family tradition emerged: once someone earned their driver's license, their new weekly duty was to drive to the corner store, pick up the paper, and bring it to my grandfather. While the Connacht Tribune hasn't been sold in U.S. stores for quite a while now, that never stopped my family from ensuring it reached him.
For years and years, his 'letter from home,' as he fondly calls it, was then delivered bi-weekly by my mom's cousins, who still live in Cappataggle. Calling my grandfather a 'super fan' of your paper would honestly be an understatement. The pure joy that lights up his eyes when he receives it is both heartwarming and wonderfully nostalgic, especially when you think about how a newspaper can still make someone's day so complete in this modern era.
In 2021, I temporary relocated to Dublin to pursue graduate studies at UCD. Having been raised in Boston with countless stories of our ancestral homeland, this decision felt inherently right. I then continued the tradition by subscribing to the Connacht Tribune and forwarding the papers to him. Since my return from Dublin, I have arranged for my boyfriend and his family in Donegal to receive the home subscription and dispatch them to Boston.
I wish to convey that the home delivery service to Donegal will be greatly missed by my family and me. Nevertheless, I also wanted to express my sincere gratitude for enabling me to provide my grandfather with this vital link to the place he holds dearest.
All the best,
Alyssa Abruzzese