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Michael Carney
Mike Carney (Micheál Ó Ceárna), born in 1920 on The Great Blasket Island, emigrated to the Hungry Hill neighbourhood of Springfield, Massachusetts in 1948. He knew little English when he travelled ...view moreMike Carney (Micheál Ó Ceárna), born in 1920 on The Great Blasket Island, emigrated to the Hungry Hill neighbourhood of Springfield, Massachusetts in 1948. He knew little English when he travelled to the mainland at sixteen. In Dublin he worked as a barman and wrote an Irish-language column for The Irish Press. In Springfield, he worked as a grocery store manager and as a security officer. He was president of the John Boyle O’Reilly Club for sixteen years and helped to create the Blasket Island Centre (Dunquin). He was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in Celtic literature from the National University of Ireland Maynooth in 2009, honouring his lifelong devotion to preserving the language and culture of his native place.view less