Martin arrived in Manchester from rural Ireland in the 1960s, aged just 14.

He looks back on a childhood spent on the small farm where he grew up, in a close-knit community where neighbours helped each other through hard times and life moved to the rhythm of the seasons.

Manchester, when he first arrived, was a shock. The city felt overwhelming and unfamiliar and Martin wondered if he would ever settle here at all. What followed was a lifetime woven into the city, building a career in construction and becoming part of Manchester’s Irish community.

Credits

Martin was in conversation with Jennifer Vickers. Production and sound design is by Emily Zurowksi. The theme music is by Oscilloscope.

Arrivals is produced by Levenshulme Old Library.