News

Christmas 2004 : Grass Roots

Thank you to Miss Hilda Dowling, Dublin, for writing to us and telling us of how her family were using the Bóthar concept many years ago. Hilda's parents married in 1929, and settled in North Longford, her father was a guard and her mother was a teacher. They had eight children, Hilda was the youngest and they had just one cow that provided enough milk for a big family. Her mother was a teacher all her life and was very aware of the poor circumstances of certain families in her two-teacher school. The Dowling family in 1950.

One particular struggling family had a small amount of land, two small fields, but no animals. Hilda's parents wanted to help out their neighbours and so, when their cow calved, Hilda's father gave the neighbouring family the heifer calf. From this heifer calf they eventually built up a herd.
‘When I first heard about Bóthar, it struck a chord. I felt it was a very concrete and practical way to give to others, and a way of helping that I knew would work' said Hilda in her letter to us.

Best wishes for a happy and peaceful Christmas to all our friends and supporters, from all at Bóthar.

The Bó Vine Cristmas 2004