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| Paddy *The Cope* Gallagher was born in the parish of Templecrone. He, like his fellow Donegal writer Patrick McGill, was hired out to work for a farmer at a Hiring Fair at the age of ten. For the next six years he worked as a farm labourer in Donegal before going to work as a *tattie hoker* (potato picker) in Scotland where he endured long hours working and poor accommodation for little renumeration. It was his experiences as an migrant worker in Scotland which inspired Gallagher to found a co-operative movement to create employment in his native Donegal. This was no easy task as Gallagher faced fierce opposition from local importers and had ultimately to buy his own cargoe boats to import goods into Donegal. Gallagher also organised local knitting and fishing co-operatives whereby people could trade their produce for goods in the local co-operative store and build up credit for times of scarcity. This movement was very successful and exists to this day. Gallagher's autobiography *My Story*(1939) is a vivid and inspiring tale of how local communities can overcome obstacles in their desire for economic automony. © Rugadh Paddy *The Cope* Gallagher i bparóiste Theampeall Cróine. Nuair a bhí sé deich mbliana d'aois, bhí Pádraig fostaithe ag feirmeoir ag na Margaidh Meallaithe cosúil lena chara Pádraig Mac a'Ghoill agus scaifte mór eile dena chuid cairde. Ar feadh sé bliana ina dhiaidh sin d'obair sé ar fheirm sula dheachaigh sé go hAlbain. Ansin d'obair sé mar *Tattie Hoker* (potato picker). D'obair sé go h-an chrua ansin ach bhí an loistín agus an paíghe iontach olc. Ghnóthaígh Pádraig taithí luachmhar ag obair mar spailpín in Albain agus chuir seo smaoineamh ina cheann comharchumann a bhunadh i nDún-na-nGall. Bhí cuid mhór deacrachtaí aige, go hairithe na hallmhairitheoirí aitiúla a bhí ag cuir ina éadan. B'éigean do Phádraig sa deireadh a chuid báid lasta fhéin a cheannacht le earraí a allmhairiú go Dún na nGall. D'eagraigh Pádraig comharchumainn cniotála agus iascaireachta do dhaoine ar mhaith leo a gcuid tairgí a thradáil san comharchumann aitiúl. Sa dóigh seo, bheadh cúlchiste creidmheasa acu nuair a thiocfadh am an ghanntanais. D'éirigh go h-iontach leis an scéim seo agus tá sé ann, fiú sa lá áta inniu ann. Scríobh Ó Gallachóir dirbheathaisnéis *My Story* (1939), cur síos beo spreagúil ar an dóigh a dtíg le pobal an bhua a fháil ar na constaicí nuair is mian leo féinriail eacnamúil a bhaint amach.© |
 Paddy the Cope (1873-1966) |