In 1959 I went with a couple of friends to the German Democratic Republic. We called ourselves the Irish Communist Delegation. I know that sounds quite funny, as we were no real delegation and I am not Irish. Just married to an Irishwoman. We chose the name because we all met on Achill Island and everything started there.

We were three men: Seamus Redmond, Tomás McNamara and me, Franz Wegertz. Our group was really convinced of the communistic idea and we wanted it to be spread all over the world.

We especially wanted to know what would become of the divided Germany. In the west the Federal Republic of Germany and in the east the German Democratic Republic. Socialism versus capitalism. That is why we went there. We were curious to see how the idea was put into action.

During our stay we met an admirable woman called Helga Hertz. She supported the socialistic system and shared our ideals. We had a great time seeing the new state grow. I guess she has still got a photo of us, which was taken at her house.

As I told you there aren't love stories only in good or bad Hollywood films, but also in real life. I will tell you another one. This time without a happy ending.

Tomás and Helga fell in love. They were a wonderful couple, but after three years the problems started. The Berlin Wall was built. Tomás didn't want to be locked up behind a wall. Helga and he had a great row. He wanted to leave the country as soon as possible and Helga didn't. They had a little daughter and Helga didn't see any need to escape from the country and leave everything behind. She also still believed in the political system. So they split up.

Helga still lives in Zwickau and Tomás went back to Achill Island where he lives as a kind of hermit near Kildownet Castle. I don't think that they ever meet again.

Soon, our whole group split up, too. We had no longer the same ideals. Seamus lives now in Dublin where he works as a painter and I went back to the Federal Republic to the Federal Republic of Germany where Annie and our son, your father Robert, were waiting for me.