'In 1986 my uncle Eamon Farrell spent a month with us in Malawi'

'In 1986 my uncle Eamon Farrell spent a month with us in Malawi'

Frank remembers relatives and friends visiting him in Malawi.

Frank Gaynor

Trinity College Dublin

1986

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Frank Gaynor

Work and Employment

Life Story

Malawi, Africa

1980's

In 1986 my uncle Eamon Farrell spent a month with us in Malawi. For the rest of his life he talked about the wonderful time he had with us. We enjoyed every day of his visit. He was enthusiastic about every activity and outing that we suggested during his stay. He was always alert for traces of the kind of British colonial lifestyles that he had read about in some of Graham Green's novels. He was delighted to find some of what he had imagined during his visit to the somewhat rundown Zomba Gymhkana Club. As we drove around Kasungu National Park Eamon was fascinated to find himself sitting beside an armed game warden on the back seat of our car. There was a friendly elephant that liked to wander around the main camp area. One evening as the elephant approached where we were sitting Eamon rushed to take his camera off a nearby table. The elephant got a bit excited and also rushed towards the camera. Eamon retreated, and the camera survived. On our journey back from Kasungu towards Blantyre we tested Eamon's adaptability when we made an unscheduled overnight stop near Balaka. When we checked into a less than one star hostel the owners moved out so that we could have the best beds for the night. The beds were comfortable but unofficial activities that involved people coming and going all night, ensured that we slept lightly. A memorable feature of the breakfast was the goat's milk that was sourced very locally. The following day we had lunch at Ku Chawe Inn on Zomba plateau. From where we were dining, through the drifting white clouds below us, there were stunning views of Zomba and the surrounding areas. Eamon's slight fear of locals was not helped by our visit to Mulanje Club one night when the night watchman, in his haste to give us the proper salute, swung his machete up shoulder high, quite close to Eamon, as we approached the entrance. Eamon soon became a very popular visitor to the Club. Frequently in the afternoon, after I arrived home from work, Eamon would suggest that we go to a good restaurant for a meal. Each time we had to remind him that there were over 80km of bad road between us and the nearest good restaurant. Most days during his visit Eamon talked about getting postcards to send back to Ireland. It was only at the airport on the day of his departure that he got around to buying a few. When it was announced that his flight was delayed for one hour we settled down at a table, ordered some tea, and Eamon proceeded to write some cards for us to post. 15 minutes later passengers were instructed to proceed immediately to the departure gate. Eamon threw his cards to one side, grabbed his hand luggage and was gone. The cards landed on some spilled tea. They were somewhat off - colour when we posted them later - and so ended four weeks of planning.Monica's niece Olivia, and her friend Lesley, came to Malawi one year for their summer holidays. With our house as a base they went on a number of short trips to places that interested them. They enjoyed their month in Malawi so well that they returned the following year. Halfway through their second visit, while walking on Zomba Mountain, Lesley started to feel ill. They returned to the hostel where they were staying in Blantyre. The following morning Lesley died. Fr. Jim Devine, an Irish Holy Ghost priest, was quickly on the scene to offer whatever support he could to Olivia. We were soon in telephone contact with Lesley's brother in law, Austin, who remained remarkably composed as we discussed the family's wishes as to how we should proceed. A post mortem examination was inconclusive, but it is most likely that cerebral malaria was the cause of death. Lesley's body was cremated in Limbe, and Olivia returned to Dublin with the ashes. A few years later, on a visit to Malawi, Lesley's sister Pauline and her husband Austin saw the hostel where Lesley died and the place where she was cremated.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)