February 14th 1849

I found my diary again when we were unpacking in our new house, so I decided to update it.

It's been three years since we as a family set foot on American soil, and since those early days we have had hard times and we have had good times.

I am now sixteen, Bradan is nine and Ceilí is five.

We saved most of the money we got from ours jobs, the money that didn't go into food or rent, and saved enough for Papa to open his own pub.

"The O'Keefe Tavern" is what he named it. It's been a dream of his and now he has it. That was last year and since then it has thrived and so have we. The tavern has brought us good things too. More money into the savings and the happy times that go on there were good things too. Papa had made some friends and those friends happened to play. Music would drift through the tavern on a regular basis.

Finally my dream came true. We saved enough to get a house of our own. It isn't overly big, or overly impressive, but it's ours. One hundred per cent ours. No landlord to stand over us and take rent.

With the house came something I've wanted the most of all. My own bedroom and a bed that I don't have to share.

I work at the pub now, with my family. It's more fun than the textile factory ever was.

I serve at the pub and get to meet all sorts of interesting people every day.

Mama is calling for me to go and have dinner. I haven't gone hungry for a long time now. It's a wonderful feeling, being able to know when you're next meal will come.

America really did work out in the end.

After a few hard years, we really prospered. I have made friends and everyone is happy. I'm very glad we moved to America and started this new life. An interesting new life full of surprises.