(The Capuchin, Autumn 1990, pp. 8-9)
Tell me a little about your early life.
I was born near Ballingeary in County Cork in 1960. After finishing school, I was trained as a plumber and worked in several building projects around Cork. Then, in 1985, I went to Zambia.
What made you decide to go there?
I met a man who had returned from work in Bangla Desh, and who encouraged me to do some voluntary work. Some newspaper articles that I read also pointed me in that direction.
Did you come through an organisation?
Yes. Viatores Christi.
What work did you do while you were there?
Hospital maintenance work, which included plumbing, electrical work, building, carpentry, mechanical work on engines and vehicles and lots of other jobs like looking after water pumps and generators. Then, in 1986, I started building a dam on the local river, the Luena, so as to generate electricity and reduce fuel costs to the hospital.
What did the people get out of it?
Well, I suppose that without the maintenance work in the hospital being done by someone, it couldn’t have continued to work very well. As well as that, I was able to train some local men in various skills. And the job of building the dam gave employment.
What did you gain by it?
A lot of technical experience. And I have happy memories from living with a friendly, welcoming people of a very different culture.
What disappointments did you have?
I wasn’t able to finish the hydro-electric scheme on the dam because the turbine had been held up in Dar es Salaam port for nearly a year by red tape, and the chances of getting it here don’t look good.
Have you any regrets?
Yes. Not having the local language was one. The other was that I didn’t succeed in training a Zambian to take over from me.
What is Africa’s future, do you think?
It has great potential, but the economic prospects look bad right now. Agriculture really needs to be developed if there’s to be any progress.
What kept you going when things got tough?
I think it was the support of the community of priests, sisters and lay missionaries, but things weren’t too bad at any time.
Is there anything you want to add?
Some people feel that a two-year contract is a long time, but it’s really the minimum if you want to achieve anything.
Would you do it all over again?
Yes. Definitely.