“And then she sat down beside me and stroked my forehead and she sang 'Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral' till I fell asleep”
Interview with Melanie Picard
January 30, 2013
Melanie Picard talks to Jo Stanbridge about her maternal grandmother Julia O'Shea Murphy White.
Melanie Picard talks about her maternal grandmother Julia O'Shea Murphy White. Now 89, she visited Canada from Ireland when Melanie was 10 and gave her granddaughter her first sense of her extended family. When Julia was diagnosed with dementia Melanie visited her in Wales and connected with her maternal uncles and aunts.
At her Story Me interview on 30 January 2013 Melanie brought two photos: the first one (above), dated 1959, shows [left to right] Melanie's mother Eileen Theresa Murphy, Melanie's uncle Sam White (the small boy beside Eileen), Bernie Kavanagh, Eileen's Aunt Peggy (Bernie's bride), and Melanie's grandmother Julia O'Shea Murphy White.
The second photo, taken a few years later, shows [left to right] Melanie's uncle Sam White, her aunt Julie White (baby in arms), her mother Eileen Theresa Murphy (holding Julie), her aunt Jennie White, and her uncle Tim White.
Listen to Melanie Picard talk about her grandmother's visit to Canada and read about the classic Irish song 'Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral' on Wikipedia.