The 2021 Koroit Irish Festival brought thousands to the town, including a very special Irish woman. Melissa Oldroyd from Melbourne brought her Irish-born mother to the festival and below shares the positive impact the event had on them both.
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"My mother, Nan Leonard, 91, was born in the small town of Ballina, County Mayo, on the west coast of Ireland. She arrived in Australia in 1969 with her husband, Kenneth, and five small children. She is now a widow, living in Ivanhoe, cared for by her children.
The round trip to the Koroit Irish Festival for us was 586 kms and the overwhelming scale of this country affected the mood in the car. On the outward leg, mum began to have some doubts (it's so far, there's no sign of civilization, where are the churches).
Finally, we made it to Koroit and mum's spirit of adventure had returned.
We arrived and hastened to the Irish dancing, got a good position and I could sense a rising tide of energy in mum. She was with her people. As people walked past, mum reached out her hand to stop them.
"I'm from County Mayo, where are you from?" she'd ask.
There were so many people to choose from in this great buffet of Irishness.
We went to the pub and mum tried her luck again, asking a woman in a leprechaun hat where she was from. The woman was from a Koroit Irish family, but not from Mayo. They chatted and the woman clearly thought mum was an absolute darling, giving her a big kiss.
We watched the dancing, then found a choir of women singers in sparkling green hats, performing an Irish lullaby. Mum sang along with gusto and was then invited to become an honorary member for a rendition of Danny Boy. We were on a high!
We came across a group of Irish Wolfhounds, passed a game of Irish Skittles and were drawn to a street session, with mum joining in on Fields of Athenry.
Next we wheeled off for the potato picking and potato peeling contests. The crowds of Guinness drinkers parted to let the gorgeous elderly lady in the wheelchair through to the front row.
We came across an Irish busker singing The Wild Colonial Boy. Mum joined in and the man got down on one knee and sang to her.
Mum said "I'm from County Mayo, where are you from?" He was an Aussie, but a young woman listening said, "I'm from Swinford, County Mayo."
Oh the thrill, at last mum was rewarded in her quest.
Back in the car for the journey home, glowing in the joys of the day and the warm-hearted Irish people we'd met. I was so glad I had seen mum come alive among her people. She gave me so much joy. A big thank you to the people of Koroit."
