Ballyhaunis mother ‘rescues’ Mayo back-packers in Australia

THREE Mayo back-packers stranded in Australia because of the Covid-19 lockdown have been ‘rescued’ by a Ballyhaunis mother of three, writes Tom Gillespie.

The trio, who asked not to be identified, arrived in Melbourne just two days before the introduction of the coronavirus emergency measures.

They found themselves without work, no flights home and their cash reserves were running low from staying in Airbnbs.

Potato farmers Peter and Mary Corcoran have now employed the three on their vast 7,000 hectare farm located four hours from Melbourne - but not before they had isolated there for two weeks.

Mary, fondly known as Tootsie, is daughter of Joe and Rose Freeley from ‘Rosmarine’, Hazelhill, Ballyhaunis.

She went to Australia eight years ago for a year after finishing college, and ended up meeting Australian native and potato farmer Peter Corcoran, whose great-grandparents originated from the Multifarnham area of Co. Westmeath.

The couple came back to Ballyhaunis seven years ago to get married. They now have three children - Rose, Cillian and Pearce - and Tootsie is expecting their fourth child in August.

Tootsie’s father, former taxi driver Joe Freeley, renowned for his wedding doves release service, said: “The family live 20 miles south of Robinvale, which is an hour south of Mildura, Victoria.

“They have Irish people working with them all the time. In Australia, if you work 12 weeks in an agricultural area you then are entitled to extend your visa for a further 12 months.

“Tootsie gets requests all the time from people looking for the 12 weeks farm work, mainly through people who have been with her in the past.

“This is their busiest time of the year when they pick, grade and make chips of their potato crop.

“Coming to the rescue of the girls was Tootsie’s way of helping out Mayo people struck abroad in these difficult times.

“The girls are now living and working on the farm until all this Covid-19 crisis blows over.”