Freedom of the City Obstruction of Truth

Freedom of the City

As a Derry born now living the the Republic I am acutely aware of how Brian Friel managed to capture the essence of living in Derry in the 60's and 70's

It was like living in a Volcano when you knew that underneath it all there was an enormous bubble of frustration waiting to explode onto the streets.

As one of a family of six each of us found it necessary to leave the city one by one to seek further education. We were fortunate the our mother fully recognized the necessity of a complete education.

One went to Antrim and on to Edinburgh, another went to Maynooth, I went to Shannon Airport and on to Zurich and then to Ipswich and lastly to Cork and Dublin.

Derry held a mystique for each of us; but not so much that we would look to return and have a family there. Almost like we had outgrown what it was the Derry had to offer. We held the view that Derry had strict limitations on what it could offer.

Derry has suffered do much for so long. We had been starved of any hope of lifting ourselves out of the darkness. Brian Friel managed to articulate the way of life we lived under and the complete injustice of keeping the status quo; never allowing equal housing; never allowing equal employment;

never allowing equal opportunities to make progress.

We owe him a debt that he so clearly encapuslated the restrictions under which almost all Derry Catholics lived