The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #8922   Message #779944
Posted By: GUEST,Guest, Big Tim
09-Sep-02 - 04:05 PM
Thread Name: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she know?
Just received a tape of the show from my brother in Ireland today. Have watched it once. A few impressions:

Mary and her husband, Pat, a former priest, from the Aran islands, a fluent (probably native) Irish speaker, now live in Tanzania, somewhere not too far from Dar, it seemed. Initially on a two year contract, now extended by 18 months. Whe they first met she was so out of touch with the music business that he had to send her out to buy copies of her own albums! They are both still practising Catholics, of the liberal variety, finding the Church in Tanzania "conservative". Mary is happy and relieved to be retired from public performances, glad to be free of the daily grind of voice and harp practice. She now felt "a great sense of peace". They are both "very Irish" but "never experience homesickness". She sang one song, in a boat with local fishermen, sounded OK to me! Pat is a teacher, concentrating on computer skills, journalism and public relations. Mary is also computer literate, at the early stages. Not sure if Pat is the college principal or not but he was obviously in a position of some authority. By her own admission she is not a good teacher though she does try to do a little bit. One of Pat's young students said "apart from a teacher we find him as a friend".