'I suppose there was an element of regret - and also feeling free'

'I suppose there was an element of regret - and also feeling free'

Mary remembers her last day in paid work. She describes her retirement activities and reflects upon how busy she is in retirement.

Mary Dynan

Trinity College Dublin

2001

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Mary Dynan

Retirement

Life Story

Brisbane, Australia

2000's

I retired from paid work in 2001. On my last day of work they had a party and speeches and generally said nice things about me - but I had had several similar 'leavings' throughout my life.I suppose there was an element of regret - and also feeling free - but I had other times in my life where I faced a complete change so it was not much different.My first years of retirement in Brisbane were enjoyable. I acquired whole new group of very interesting friends in the Life Story Writing Group at U3A (University of the Third Age). I enjoyed lunching and meeting with friends for coffee in Brisbane's rich variety of cafes and restaurants. It was fun to be able to go to the morning cinema session or visit the city's wonderful galleries and other cultural facilities.I was sad leaving Brisbane. While I was going 'home' the transition was not painless. Our first year back in Ireland was spent in Kilcock, Co. Kildare while Muredach was based at NUI Maynooth. As it was a transition situation, I did not get too involved in local activities, apart from an Irish class. It was near enough to Dublin to go in - to meet friends, visit galleries etc. I spent a good deal of time in Ballycastle with my mother - and this I continued to do when we moved to live in Newry. When she eventually went to live in Nazareth Care Village in Belfast, I went there at least twice a week until her death four months before her 100th birthday.In Newry, I found the U3A. It was a very different set up from what I had experienced in Brisbane. There, there were over 2000 members. It was housed in a city centre building and there were over a hundred activities to choose from. In Newry, there was a shabby old terrace house, about 80 members and a limited number of activities to get involved with. However, I was made welcome. I joined a computer class, the book club and attended the various social activities. I gradually became involved with the committee and also inaugurated an Irish Conversation group. I became the local chairperson in2007. By the end of my tenure in 2010 we had moved to better premises. The membership was over 400 and there were nearly 40 activities on offer (all of it organised and led by the volunteer membership).I am currently the Northern Ireland Regional Chair. There are 19 U3A groups in the region. I have recently been commissioned as a member of Newry Parish Pastoral Council - so I am not going to be sitting in the corner for a while yet.

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

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)