DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

Who am I? Where do I come from? Like many people in the U.S. with European heritage, I grew up with little connection to my Irish homeland or to the stories that help form a strong sense of identity. I was curious about the unknowns in my family history! In my thirty’s, with the encouragement of a friend, I began a search for the place and people my grandmother left behind.  Over the next forty years, thanks to the generosity of distant relations in the Burren, I got a glimpse of my own past. The experience brought me out of the cultural amnesia into which I was born. Its impact went far beyond historical facts or a completed family tree. It was an adventure in connection. That connection to people, homeland and culture has value far beyond what I imagined.

This film is a gesture of appreciation and thanks to the Burren farm families and friends who led me - and accompanied me - on this great exploration of our shared past. Burren Girl celebrates the deep, essential connection between people and their homeland. I hope the magic of this family history adventure inspires viewers on their own journeys home.