There was little or no standing room in the function room at the Beach Hotel in Downings on Friday night last, where Aodh Mac Laifeartaigh launched a book which encapsulates the history of the Rosguill Peninsula. The book, Teaghlaigh Ros Goill, which took around a decade to complete, provides readers with an insight into the difficult lives lived by people in years gone by - from children going to work on farms in a tradition known as ar fósta, to boarding the Derry boat in search of a better life. Aodh said that during his time interviewing people - some of whom had reached a hundred years of age - he found that despite their difficult and modest beginnings in life, they retained a great sense of humour and were often able to laugh easily at events they recalled from years gone by.
