At Home In Montreal

’The city got under my skin and worked its way into my heart…’

- Patrick McKenna, Montreal

During my first 30 years in Montreal, I returned to my native Northern Ireland every second year. Going home for a few weeks was wonderful, but it wasn’t as simple as it might seem.

Back then, there were no budget airlines, so my ticket wasn’t cheap and, with no direct flight from Montreal to Belfast, I’d have to travel through New York, Boston or London before finally arriving at my destination.

Although I arrived exhausted and jetlagged, I would still listen to Mum’s laundry list of bad news. I had to be careful when I went out, since the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland continued unabated.