Mayo priest publishes his latest children’s fable

No one expects a priest to write children’s fables but one priest has shattered that expectation.

He is Killawalla native Fr. Michael Tracey, now, retired as a priest after serving in Mississippi, U.S.A. for over 40 years.

While there, he was a regular columnist for a Mississippi newspaper from 1976 to his retirement in 2013.

He is the author of five books – all published in the States.

He was honoured as “Mayo Person of the Year” in 2008 by the Boston Mayo Association for his efforts in rebuilding his community in Mississippi following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

His latest book – published on February 24 – is called “A Journey with Boreen.”

It is an illustrated Children’s fable and is published by Olympia Publishers, London.

Two other books, to be published in the near future – “Freckles and Brownie:” and “A Visitor from Heaven” form part of this trilogy.

Any Irish person is aware that “Boreen” is an Irish name.

It means a small road or laneway. Inspiration for the book came from an actual road that runs by the side of Fr. Tracey’s house in Ireland.

The road is locally known as “Ballyburke Boreen” and is situated in the village of Killawalla, outside Westport.

Fr. Tracey journeys that road daily in the early morning and that is where he got the inspiration for the story.

He stated: "The cover of the book suggests that the road itself is peppered with sights and sounds, twists and turns, seasons and sunshine, hills and hollows, lazy landscapes and loitering wildlife, old ruins and new growth, Fairy Forts, meandering rivers, romantic bridges, 'Famine House,' Famine Burial grounds.

"Boreen, the old woman of the road, invites the reader to join her as she shares her own often painful history, her special moments as well as her centuries old wisdom and guidance.”

He recalled visiting with a neighbouring farmer recently.

“We began talking about the Famine Graves in the area when the man took me out the back door and showed me a small mound circled by three trees in his field.

"His father wanted to bulldoze the mound and trees buy a neighbour intervened, saying, ‘Don’t disturb that mound. Some of my ancestors are buried there.’ It was a famine grave. Such places need to be captured in some way. That is what I have tried to do with my recent book."

The book is beautifully illustrated by Parke, Castlebar native, Laura O’Donnell, who now lives in Dublin.

Fr. Tracey said: 'A Journey with Boreen' could be any road in Ireland. Every village, road, and boreen in Ireland has its own unique history and story. If we do not capture them, either is song, story, fable or print; their richness and beauty will be lost forever.

"We all know the continuing impact Covid has on us physically, emotionally, psychologically and mentally, especially its impact on our children and young people.

"In many cases, it has taken away the playfulness of children and replaced it with fear and uncertainty. I know a young girl who goes to primary school. Her mother is a nurse in the local hospital. At the outset of Covid, the young girl asked her mother, ‘Are you going to die on us with this Covid?’

"We must continue to find ways to reignite the playfulness in children as well as help them to become more grounded and at home in their own history and identity.

“It is a shame that the imagination and creative abilities of children has been dulled by modern computer games where the only exercise a child gets is exercising their thumbs.

"In an age when we are concerned about the environment, climate change as well as mental illness, we need to embrace more seriously the natural world with its story, song, beauty, oral history and make it more inviting to our children.

"Otherwise, its power, formative qualities and beautywill be lost forever. We need to fuel the imagination of children so they can encounter, embrace, and appreciate their rootedness in a world where they can feel anchored and belong...”

The suggested audience of the book is for pre-teens through adults.

The book can be purchased through any local bookstore or ordered through Amazon.