SHEILA DEASY, TERRYGLASS (Part 1)

The interview with Sheila Deasy began in her beautiful landscaped garden, where in the comfort of her own surroundings she provided a narrative on her family history, explaining how her own people, the O’Kellys, were among the ‘Wild Geese’, who went to Austria, where the family became Counts of the Holy Roman Empire. She joked about her position as a Countess. Her maternal grandmother was Belgian and her grandfather’s mother was French. She attended school at the age of 12 in Belgium. There was a tradition of involvement with the land in the Deasy family; her father worked for the Land Commission, and her late husband, Rickard Deasy, lead the IFA at one time. Her son follows in his father’s footsteps with his involvement in farming. The conversation continued back at the house, where Sheila pointed out some family photographs, and traced their connections. I was pleased that I would be returning for another recording session with this most interesting lady.