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Denise a “leading light” in
community
29.03.12
by Linda McGrory
A YOUNG mother who once feared telling her new
neighbours she was a Traveller has become a "leading
light" among them.
Denise Delaney (32) moved into the brand new
Earlsfort council housing estate on the outskirts of
Buncrana, with her husband and their three children
five years ago.
She has since set up a residents' association for
the estate’s 40 families and, as chairperson, has
secured new picnic benches for the green, goalposts
and sandboxes for the children, better traffic
calming measures and tree planting. She designed the
stone carved name sign at the estate’s entrance and
has set up an Earlsfort Facebook page to advertise
litter collections and other communal events.
Softly-spoken Denise, who grew up in Co Mayo, holds
regular residents' association meetings at her
kitchen table but insists it's all "a collective
effort". As the only Travellers on the new estate,
Denise was wary at first of being stereotyped.
"When I first moved in nobody asked was I a
Traveller and I didn't say. We all got to know each
other first. Once I knew they liked and appreciated
me for who I was, I was more comfortable telling
them," said Denise.
"It's judging the person first, not the cover. We
are all equal in my eyes." |
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Denise Delaney outside her Earlsfort
home at one of the new picnic benches. |
Denise left school at
16, married at 18, and moved permanently to Donegal
where she first visited as a child via caravan in
summer. She has since undertaken a two-year
community health course with the Donegal Travellers'
Project whose leaders singled her out for special
praise earlier this month on International Women's
Day.
Her efforts have also made a strong impression on
local councillors as well as staff in Buncrana Town
Council.
Cllr Rena Donaghey said: "Denise is working really,
really hard. She is one of the leading lights in
that community."
Buncrana town engineer, Donal Walker, said the
Earlsfort families were model local authority
residents.
"If there's something I haven't done that I promised
to do, (Denise) will go around it in a nice way.
She'll give me a wee dig but in a subtle manner," he
quipped. One Earlsfort neighbour said her family
home was overcrowded but, because of Denise, she
wouldn’t be moving.
The young mother, whose children are 12, 10, and
six, puts her neighbourhood pride down to a negative
experience growing up. "I grew up in a horrible
estate - it didn't look nice or feel nice. Here, my
kids are playing with all their friends who don't
judge them.
“I don't hide who I am. Everyone knows who I am and
what I am. It's nice to be appreciated for who I am
instead of pretending to be someone else. I have
great support here, we make a good team," she added. |
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