The eldest son is a vice-principal of a school in east Donegal and he must have been really stuck during their recent careers day exhibition when he asked if I could come along and meet and greet students who wished to pursue a career in journalism.

Now, I was aware that I belong to an era more akin to smoke signals – it was all shorthand and typing, landline telephones, courts and councils in my day, not your modern iPhones, email, Facebook, Twitter/X and all the rest – but as the son was asking, I felt obliged to do the needful.

I have one abiding memory of that day.

A beautiful wee girl of 16 or 17 came up to me and I soon learned she was from Ukraine. We talked for a few minutes and I asked unthinkingly: “And what would you like to do?”

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She replied unhesitatingly: “I would like to go back to my own people.”

I am neither exaggerating nor using some kind of poetic licence when I say the look of longing on her face as she said those words was beyond sad. It has stayed with me.

Not far from Derry city there is a world class park that few have heard about, Swan Park. It’s just outside the town of Buncrana. For me, it’s a bit of heaven on this earth.

About two week ago I was strolling through it and,........

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