Sligo Heritage Collection First Series

Transcription

IRISH LIFE AND LORE SERIES
SLIGO HERITAGE COLLECTION
FIRST SERIES
_____________
CATALOGUE OF 74 RECORDINGS
www.irishlifeandlore.com
Irish Life and Lore Series
Maurice and Jane O’Keeffe, Ballyroe, Tralee,
County Kerry
e-mail: info@irishlifeandlore.com
Website: www.irishlifeandlore.com
Telephone: + 353 66 7121991/ + 353 87 2998167
Interviews by: Joe McGowan and Maurice O’Keeffe
Recordings compiled by: Maurice O’Keeffe
Catalogue editor: Jane O’Keeffe
Secretarial work by: NB Secretarial, Tralee
Final word processing/database management: Margaret Lantry, Cork
Recordings mastered by: Barra Vernon, Cork
Privately published by: Maurice and Jane O’Keeffe, Tralee
Copyright: 2012 © Sligo County Council and Maurice and Jane O’Keeffe
The Sligo Heritage Collection was commissioned and funded by Sligo County Council and
The Heritage Council in partnership with the County Sligo Heritage Forum through the
County Sligo Heritage Plan 2007-2011.
SLIGO COUNTY COUNCIL
COMHAIRLE CHONTAE SHLIGIGH
An Action of the County Sligo Heritage Plan (2007-2011)
ii
INDEX
Page
Bertie Monds............................................................................................................................. 72, 73, 74
Brian Rogers ................................................................................................................................... 49, 50
Chris Branley ...................................................................................................................................... 1, 2
Cillian Rogers ....................................................................................................................................... 48
Clare Walsh..................................................................................................................................... 56, 57
Colm Kelly ............................................................................................................................................ 29
Eddie Higgins.................................................................................................................................. 70, 71
Fintan McDonagh ................................................................................................................................. 34
George and Violet Hunter ..................................................................................................................... 27
Joe Gowran ..................................................................................................................................... 20, 21
Joe Keane .............................................................................................................................................. 28
Joe McGowan ............................................................................................................... 35, 36, 37, 65, 66
John McTernan ..................................................................................................................................... 59
John Mullaney................................................................................................................................. 63, 64
John Surlis............................................................................................................................................. 54
Johnny Hannon ..................................................................................................................................... 22
Johnny McCann .................................................................................................................................... 33
Kathleen Scully and Mae Henry ........................................................................................................... 51
Keith Clarke ........................................................................................................................................ 8, 9
Kieron Melody ................................................................................................................................ 38, 39
Lizzie Gallagher .............................................................................................................................. 17, 18
Madame Felicity MacDermot ......................................................................................................... 61, 62
Martina Gillan ....................................................................................................................................... 19
Michael Cronnolly ................................................................................................................................ 10
Michael Quirke ............................................................................................................................... 46, 47
Micheál Flatley ..................................................................................................................................... 16
Mick Brennan...................................................................................................................................... 3, 4
Mick Shannon ................................................................................................................................. 52, 53
Molly Cawley...................................................................................................................................... 5, 6
Packie Harrison ............................................................................................................................... 23, 24
Paddy Devaney ..................................................................................................................................... 11
Paddy Egan ........................................................................................................................................... 15
Pat James Duffy .............................................................................................................................. 13, 14
Patrick Clancy ......................................................................................................................................... 7
Peadar O’Neill ................................................................................................................................ 44, 45
Peter Diamond .......................................................................................................................... 67, 68, 69
Rodney Lomax ...................................................................................................................................... 31
Ronan McEvilly .................................................................................................................................... 60
Rosaleen Holland .................................................................................................................................. 26
Seamus Hession .................................................................................................................................... 25
Seamus Moore ................................................................................................................................ 40, 41
Seamus Tansey...................................................................................................................................... 55
Ted Kelly .............................................................................................................................................. 30
Ted Maughan ........................................................................................................................................ 32
Tom Nealon .................................................................................................................................... 42, 43
Tony Toher............................................................................................................................................ 58
Walter Dickson ..................................................................................................................................... 12
iii
Irish Life & Lore – Sligo Heritage Collection, First Series
Name: Chris Branley (Part 1)
Address: Rathcormack, Co. Sligo.
Series title: Sligo Heritage Collection, First Series, CD 1
Subject: Memories of the Mine
Recorded by: Joe McGowan
Recording date: 2008
Content: Chris Branley was born in Glencar, Co Sligo, in November 1927. In this recording
he recalls working for Benbulben Barytes Company in the barytes mine making
twenty five shillings a week at the age of fifteen. Chris brings us back in time to
the 1800s and early 1900s describing Barton’s quarry and the back-breaking work
involved in bringing the barytes down in sacks from the mountain. Barytes was
always needed in times of war and Chris gives great detail on its many uses at the
time which included paint pigments and a pharmaceutical ingredient. Work was
done in three shifts in the mines, and the process of mining the barytes is also
discussed. Chris shares his memories of his parents who ran the farm where he
grew up. His father had also worked in the mines and when he died in 1935 his
family of seven children were left devastated. At the end of this recording Chris
begins to discuss his parents’ involvement in the IRA.
Page 1 of 74
Name: Chris Branley (Part 2)
Address: Rathcormack, Co. Sligo.
Subject: Memories of the Mine
Content: In the second recording, Chris Branley recalls his father’s IRA involvement and the
effect this had on his family. He also relates several stories and shares a great
insight into the Civil War in Ireland, his parents’ involvement and the events which
took place in the Sligo area at that time. He shares a story about his mother, who
died in 1993, burning her own hand-written documentation of the hard times she
and her husband endured during the Troubles, and he recalls the day six men were
shot on the mountain in North Sligo. His love for the country and his deep
nationalistic spirit are evident in this recording.
Page 2 of 74
Name: Mick Brennan (Part 1)
Address: Grange, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Blacksmith’s Life
Content: The late Mick Brennan was born in 1924. He attended Benbulben School and in
this conversation he recounts his early school memories. He comes from a long
line of blacksmiths stretching back to the time of his great-grandfather. Mick
explains that his father Jack also worked as a blacksmith. He lived in the townland
of Derry near Grange, County Sligo and was a blacksmith in the army for a few
years before coming to Derry. There were many forges operating in the area at one
time and Mick recalls some of the people involved. He discusses the making of the
iron tyre for the donkey carts and the tricky process this entailed. He recalls the
procedure of crafting the iron tyre in the turf fire, and how he could tell by the
colour of the metal when it was time to pull it out. Mick also remembers and
names various wheelwrights in the Ballyshannon and Sligo areas and he tells us
about the scythes which people brought to be turned and sharpened – each scythe
had to be fitted to its owner. He also recalls growing up on a small farm, and
working on the bog long ago.
Page 3 of 74
Name: Mick Brennan (Part 2)
Address: Grange, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Blacksmith’s Life
Content: In the second recording, the late Mick Brennan discusses the welding of gates and
he takes pride in the quality of his gates compared to those of today. The
blacksmith was a most important person in the community he explains. The
process of shoeing a horse is discussed, as is the danger involved, through
destroying a horse due to infection. Crooks, tongs and turf spades were also
crafted in the forge. There was great skill involved in the welding and cooling of
metal because of its tempering. Towards the end of the recording he recalls the
country hall dances and musicians in the area, in days long ago.
Page 4 of 74
Name: Molly Cawley (Part 1)
Address: Ballymote, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Family Business
Content: Molly Cawley was born and reared in Ballymote, Co. Sligo, where her father was a
house builder and carpenter. He had a hardware shop and a large workshop, and
made windows and donkey carts. She has many stories to relate about the building
of houses long ago. Molly fondly recalls the workshop where timber was seasoned
for doors and windows which lasted a lifetime. Also related are stories of how
people painted their donkey carts long ago, with materials like red lead. Turf
barrows, spades and shovels as well as screws, hinges and nails were some of the
items sold in the hardware shop. Molly remembers the Ballymote cattle fair, and
discusses a typical day at the fair in vivid detail. She fondly recalls her mother
who loved to knit, and Molly herself learned to knit and sew in school, and she
emphasises the importance at that time of knowing how to mend and patch clothes.
Page 5 of 74
Name: Molly Cawley (Part 2)
Subject: A Family Business
Content: In the second recording, Molly Cawley recalls making dresses and skirts in school.
She always had an interest in the crafts, making a variety of garments at vocational
school. She discusses sourcing the wool for knitting long ago and the old methods
used to make things like socks. Another early memory which Molly shares is of
going to the country house dances. Molly has a great love of the country life which
she describes in vivid detail.
Page 6 of 74
Name: Patrick Clancy
Address: Bunduff, Co. Sligo.
Subject: Saddlemaking
Content: Patrick Clancy is a native of Bunduff. His father had a great love for horses, a
passion which was inherited by all his sons. Patrick recalls becoming an
apprentice saddler when he was very young, and making his first harness at
thirteen. Also recalled are his schooldays which he fondly remembers. Patrick
shares great detail on the various techniques he learnt as an apprentice saddler and
he explains that immense skill was needed to craft these essential items. He says
that he could never have foreseen how quickly the horse and cart would be
replaced and a whole way of living wiped out.
Page 7 of 74
Name: Keith Clarke (Part 1)
Address: Moneygold, Grange, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Beekeeper and Butcher
Content: Keith Clarke grew up in Rosses Point where he was born in 1956. He is a
beekeeper and a butcher, with a long established business in Grattan Street, Sligo.
The business is family owned, inherited from his father, who set it up in 1956.
Keith joined the business after leaving school at the age of 14 and he recalls his
father buying sheep and cattle at the local fair. He discusses the farming practices
and the bargaining methods used at fairs at the time. Also recalled are the origins
of the local mart in the 1970’s and the tactics of the buyers and sellers at the marts.
Keith discusses the reduction in the number of butcher shops in Sligo town due to
competition from supermarkets and he provides great insight into the process of
slaughtering and butchering cattle.
Page 8 of 74
Name: Keith Clarke (Part 2)
Address: Moneygold, Grange, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Beekeeper and Butcher
Content: In this second recording, Keith tells a story about a purchase he made one Sunday
long ago. He discusses beekeeping and says he was always fond of a nice piece of
honey, but it was very expensive so he decided to start making his own honey. He
began by buying two hives from a schoolteacher in Ballina, who taught him
everything about beekeeping. He describes how beekeeping works, including the
process of cultivating the honey. Bees are very sensitive to the weather and Keith
also explains that he is accustomed to bee stings. He goes on to talk about the
queen of a hive, and how the bees decide on a new queen. Keith is a member of
the Irish Beekeepers Association and he produces honey for his business
‘Knocknarea Honey’.
Page 9 of 74
Name: Michael Cronnolly
Address: Killasser, Co. Mayo.
Subject: An Instrument Maker
Content: In this recording compiled in Killasser, Michael Cronnolly tells us that he was
reared on nineteen acres of farmland, and in adult life he worked for the County
Council for thirty-nine years. He recalls the work with the horse and cart and he
details the making and maintenance of the roads in the years before the availability
of tarmac. He remembers people collecting stones and rocks from their land,
which they sold for use on the roads, and he has vivid memories of people breaking
up the stones with hammers along the side of the road. Also recalled are his school
days when he brought a sod of turf under his arm every day to school and he wore
no shoes. He describes the beating with the stick and the torture in school at the
time, and is glad to see corporal punishment banished. Clothes at that time were
handed down five or six times he recalls, and he shares great detail on life long ago
in a time where everything was hand made and every family was self-sufficient.
He remembers people buying poitín at weekends for their entertainment, and he
recalls making gallons of poitín himself. In this recording he details the
complicated process of making the brew. He needed a wooden barrel, pounds of
sugar, yeast from the bakery and some stale bread and it took three or four weeks
for the sugar to turn to alcohol. He then describes how it was distilled and the fact
that the first glass was always offered to the fairies. All of this was done well away
from home in a shed. Poitín was also a great cure and it often cured cattle of
pneumonia. Michael always had an interest in music and when he was twentythree he decided to make his own flute which took six months to make. He
describes this process in great detail and his use of oak wood from the spoke of a
cart. Michael now makes traditional Irish five piece flutes and he says there is a
distinctive sound from a wooden flute that is ideally suited to Irish music. Towards
the end of the recording Michael plays some lovely tunes on the flute including
‘Old Ballymote’ and ‘Three Lovely Lassies’.
Page 10 of 74
Name: Paddy Devaney
Address: Carrowkeel, Co. Sligo.
Series title: Irish Life and Lore Sligo Collection, First Series CD 11
Subject: A Fine Ploughman
Date: 2008
Content: This recording is compiled in Carrowkeel or the ‘Coach Valley’ where Paddy
Devaney and his wife Minnie provide details of their lives. Paddy was born on a
small farm, of about two or three cows, in 1924. He recalls working with his
father, cutting oats with a scythe before he eventually worked his way up to the
plough. He remembers when his father bought a horse plough that it was a big
investment for a small farmer at the time. Paddy worked with this plough until he
was in his twenties and he explains how they progressed from ploughing with
horses to small tractors. He explains that the tractor was difficult to accept for
some farmers, who thought it made the ground hard, but it was eventually adopted
once they saw that it did the same work as the horse. Paddy tells us he was
ploughing in competitions until he was eighty-four years old. He discusses the
whole process, from the initial ploughing to the sowing, the fertilisation and the
shaking of potatoes into the soil. He describes how the potatoes were sprayed to
prevent blight and weeds by using mixtures of bluestone and washing soda. Also
discussed is the making of the trampcock and he remembers the market that was
held once a week at which he sold potatoes and hay. Paddy remembers Sligo town
in the old days, with the old buildings, narrow streets and no cars. Other topics
discussed include the country house dances in the area, how people were
matchmaking long ago and the deadly wind of 1961. Also recalled are memories
of the straw boys and the wren boys of County Sligo.
Page 11 of 74
Name: Walter Dickson
Address: Tawley, Co. Leitrim.
Subject: A Stonemason Remembers
Content: Walter Dickson is from Tawley in Co. Leitrim. He began his working life as a
small farmer, as did his father. He discusses lapping the hay and how this was
done. He also did some thatching as a young lad and shares some details on the
process. He recalls a local wheelwright and describes the procedure of making a
wheel for a cart. Also remembered is the entertainment at night with the
gramophone and the dancing. Walter recalls Mary’s Bridge which was built in
1817 and talks about the legend behind it. He maintains that people long ago were
happier than they are now and remembers that people had more time for each
other. He recalls learning the craft of stonemasonry forty-five years ago. He
describes how the stone would “wear your fingers off” and that the pay was small,
nobody had much money. He began working with field stone and moved on to
sandstone from quarries. He talks about the quarries in the area at the time.
Stonework took great skill and Walter was involved in making many fences and
ditches and did a fair share of dry stone walling. He remembers the last stone
house built in the locality which was in the middle of the 1950s.
Page 12 of 74
Name: Pat James Duffy (Part 1)
Address: Killavil, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Local Historian/Folklorist
Content: Pat James Duffy, a great storyteller and writer, was born in 1930 in Killavil. His
ancestors were shoemakers by trade, and Pat James tells many tales about their
trade and craftsmanship. He recalls spending many happy Sunday evenings
playing a game called ‘throwing the bullet’ which he describes vividly. He
discusses the great craftsmanship involved in making scythes and explains the
importance of having a good edge. He also shares stories of many old superstitions
and cures. He discusses the fair in Ballymote and the start in the early hours of the
morning, getting the cattle out on the road and the people singing and driving
bargains at the fair.
Page 13 of 74
Name: Pat James Duffy (Part 2)
Subject: A Local Historian/Folklorist
Content: In the second recording Pat James discusses the luck penny that the buyer got when
buying cows at the market long ago. The farmer had to be keen at the markets
when buying otherwise he could be fooled by the sellers who were there every day.
He explains that the wheelwright was an important man in the area, as he could
repair spinning wheels, which were vital pieces of equipment. Also discussed are
the disputes regarding the names of the townlands in the area in his father’s time,
when the names were changed by mapmakers. Pat James shares many stories of
people from the area long ago and ghost stories about some local houses. His great
love of folklore and stories is clearly evident in this recording.
Page 14 of 74
Name: Paddy Egan
Subject: A Wheelwright/Coachbuilder
Content: Paddy Egan has worked with wood all his life and his father was a carpenter who
had a workshop in town. Paddy loved the workshop when he was young and he
began his apprenticeship there at the age of sixteen. Making a donkey cart
involved six or seven days work and it was a big order in those days. Paddy
describes the whole process of making the wheel of the cart and declares that if you
could make a wheel you could make anything. He remembers three workshops in
the town at that time and recalls the competition between them. Every man made a
wheel in a different way. Paddy describes making the spokes of oak and the
fellows of ash and he stresses the importance of the axle being balanced just right
for the ass. The workshop made carriages, traps and landaus and also put the
handles on turf spades and other implements. If somebody had a trap, you knew
they had a few acres of land he says. Paddy’s craftsmanship may be summed up
by his belief that the important thing was how well you did a job, not how long it
took to complete it.
Page 15 of 74
Name: Micheál Flatley
Address: Aughris, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Stonemason, Local Historian and Folklorist
Content: Micheál Flatley has a great reputation as a stonemason. His father and grandfather
also worked with stone in an age where people had to do a bit of everything
because money was scarce. Micheál discusses the craft of the stonemason. He
always had a great admiration for stonework because it is so technical and much
professional tuition is required to master it. The dry stone wall takes more skill to
build than a mortar wall, he says. Micheál recalls some Halloween traditions and
the games played in earlier times. A bath of water had coins put into it, which had
to be taken out by mouth and an apple hung from a string had to be bitten without
use of one’s hands. He also has memories of the travelling folk from the country
who exchanged tin cans for a bit of food and hay for their ponies. Micheál
discusses the holy wells and the tradition of people leaving three pebbles in a
mound which eventually grew into a cairn. We hear of the folklore of monasteries,
the Vikings and stories of forts and fairies.
Page 16 of 74
Name: Lizzie Gallagher (Part 1)
Address: Moneygold, Co. Sligo.
Subject: The Weaver’s Craft
Content: Born a hundred years before this recording was compiled, Lizzie Gallagher is a
native of Moneygold. She was the third eldest of five children and she has no
memories of her father who died when she was very young. Lizzie recalls her
grandfather quite well however and she says there were no schools in the area
when he was a child. She learned from her mother the art of spinning wool and
knitting. She notes how her mother was a very dedicated and hard worker who
supported the entire family. Lizzie has great memories of her mother but recalls
her great loneliness when Lizzie’s father died. Lizzie started spinning at the age of
eighteen. She recalls her childhood, going to school barefoot and the churning of
the butter at home. She says one always gave a tinker something when they came
around at that time.
Page 17 of 74
Name: Lizzie Gallagher (Part 2)
Address: Moneygold, Co. Sligo.
Subject: The Weaver’s Craft
Content: In the second recording, Lizzie Gallagher remembers the tinkers who would call to
her home in former days and she recalls her school days, saying that children
stayed in school until they were around fourteen because there was no secondary
school education. The fear of the stick made you learn long ago, she maintains.
She describes the teachers as being very cruel. Also recalled are the dances long
ago in Grange Hall and she also has memories of the Civil War, and Brideogs. She
celebrated her 100th birthday recently surrounded by many friends.
Page 18 of 74
Name: Martina Gillan
Address: Castle Street, Sligo.
Subject: Jewellery Designer
Content: Martina Gillan is an integral part of the arts and crafts in Sligo town where she runs
her craft shop ‘The Cat & The Moon’. She comes from a farming background and
she decided to undertake a course in jewellery making, being influenced by
Newgrange. Martina exports many of her designs which are very popular in
America. Much of her work is original and she explains that she wants to give
meaning to each piece rather than having it just look pretty. Her business has
grown though word of mouth, and her shop provides exhibition space for artists
and other craftspeople. Martina is a fearless businesswoman who is very
passionate about her work and who thoroughly enjoys her working environment.
Page 19 of 74
Name: Joe Gowran (Part 1)
Address: Drumcliff South, Co. Sligo.
Subject: Traditional Woodland Skills
Content: Joe Gowran was born in Cork and now lives in Drumcliff South. He enjoyed a
very happy childhood. He disliked not working during the mid-eighties when jobs
were scarce and one day, when out for a walk, a man who was cutting down cherry
trees mentioned a woodland management course in Leitrim which Joe decided to
pursue. He was accepted on the course which focused on biodiversity and
conservation in woodlands. Joe discusses his expertise on various trees and their
uses. Hedgerow management is also discussed, as is his great knowledge of and
love for various woodlands. He also discusses stone ditches and their structure in
great detail.
Page 20 of 74
Name: Joe Gowran (Part 2)
Address: Drumcliff South, Co. Sligo.
Subject: Traditional Skills and Wall-building
Content: In the second recording, Joe Gowran describes the process of wattling with willow,
and how it was done. He talks about the use of wattle buildings in the past and the
speed with which they could be made. They vanished in time because it was
difficult to collect rent from the tenants of these buildings because they could pick
up and go at any time, in contrast to those who lived in a stone dwelling. Joe
describes how they would smoke houses long ago by closing all the doors, so that
the smoke would neutralise the smell of the sheep wool in the walls. He talks
about dry stone wall maintenance today and the decline of forestry due to land
values. He also gives his view on the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme
(REPS). His love of nature and woodland management is very clear in this
recording.
Page 21 of 74
Name: Johnny Hannon
Address: Monasteraden, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Basket Weaver
Content: Johnny Hannon was born in a thatched house in Monasteraden and grew up on a
farm. He explains how Monasteraden got its name and he recalls a time in the
local area when everybody knew everybody. He also recalls a game called ‘pitch
and toss’ which was played when he was young. Johnny remembers the mowing
machines and the mowing of meadows with the scythe and describes a typical day
mowing. He talks about his hobby of basket weaving and says that everybody
could make a basket when he was young and there was a creel outside every back
door at one time. He made his first basket when he was around eleven years old.
There was a lot of skill involved in making a creel and it was put to great use for
holding potatoes and also turf in the bog. Johnny details the process of making the
creel with the ‘sally rods’ or willow. He makes many baskets from different types
of willow for ornamental use and he loves his past time. He has won a country
craft award for making creels and has featured in a programme called ‘Hidden
Treasures’ on RTÉ television.
Page 22 of 74
Name: Packie Harrison (Part 1)
Address: Creevymore, Cliffony, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Farmer and Thatcher
Content: The late Packie Harrison was born in 1923 on Saint Patrick’s Day. His schooldays
over, his first job was with the County Council where he was put to breaking
stones with a small hammer. In this recording, Packie describes working for the
Council, digging drainage for the roads by hand, in the days before diggers. He
talks about the donkeys and how useful they were as workers and he discusses the
breeding and castrating of the asses and the procedures used. Packie also thatched
with scollops and he describes in detail how this was done. He recalls some
professional thatchers in the locality at the time and remembers many craftsmen in
the area in days gone by, including blacksmiths and tailors.
Page 23 of 74
Name: Packie Harrison (Part 2)
Address: Creevymore, Cliffony, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Farmer and Thatcher
Content: In the second recording, the late Packie Harrison recalls being involved in erecting
the electricity poles in the area long ago and also remembers the tarring of the
roads. His first memory of the mummers at Christmas time when he was young is
described and he details this tradition and the people who performed. Packie
recalls that if a person died in the townland, everyone had to give money to the
family of the dead and there was no work for three days following the death. He
recalls the country dances long ago and a typical night at McGloins. There was
lots of drink to be had at these dances which lasted until eight in the morning. At
the end of this recording the interviewer Joe McGowan sings a Packie Joe Kelly
song that he remembers ‘The Road Round the Horseshoe’.
Page 24 of 74
Name: Seamus Hession
Address: Sligo.
Subject: A Coffin Maker
Content: Seamus Hession, born in 1948, is a born and bred Sligo man. His father, who
came from Mayo, had a furniture shop and was a cabinetmaker in the 1940s. He
made boxes and stairs and eventually moved on to the making of coffins. When
Seamus became involved in the business, he started work at the bottom, sweeping
floors and gathering shavings. He details the process of making a coffin from start
to finish, from getting the right wood, to planing and sanding and finally putting
the coffin together and finishing it off with a sealer and lacquer. Also discussed
are the different sizes of coffins and the demand for each type, as well as the
difference between a casket and a coffin. At the end of this recording, Seamus
shares a few dramatic ghost stories.
Page 25 of 74
Name: Rosaleen Holland
Address: Drumcliff, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Weaver and Liomra
Content: Rosaleen Holland is from Drumcliff, Co Sligo. Her craft involves the making of
liomra – the Irish word for fleece, made from raw sheep’s wool. The first liomra
she saw was made by her mother. She remembers her father was very skilled and
could make anything from coffins, to tables, to mending shoes. Craftwork is in the
family. Rosaleen remembers her mother making fleeces, and she describes the
whole process, from sourcing the wool to buying and making the dyes. Rosaleen
took up the craft and now makes mats and wall-hangings which she sends to
America, Australia and England. She is a member of the ICA which promotes old
Irish past times and skills. She talks extensively and enthusiastically about the
work undertaken by the members of the ICA. Rosaleen Holland talks about her
passion for the ICA and the camaraderie between the women. She recalls her
application to join the Garda Siochána in 1960. She was the only woman who
applied and describes the interview process. She has very fond memories of Achill
Island and going to dances which she enjoyed greatly. Also recalled were the
exciting parcels from America, which contained old and new clothes. She has a
great love for people and for life which shines though in this recording. She loves
being alive, she declares.
Page 26 of 74
Name: George and Violet Hunter
Address: Carraroe, Co. Sligo.
Subject: Butter Making and Milk Products
Content: George and Violet Hunter are dairy farmers. George lived in a thatched house
when he was younger and describes his childhood with his parents who were also
dairy famers; he grew up in a family of twelve. They had ten or twelve cows and
George began milking them when he was around seven years old. He recalls
supplying local businesses with milk as they delivered it door to door. It was
difficult in those days due to the absence of fridges. You could get everything in a
grocery shop at that time, except milk, he says. He discusses the process of
churning butter long ago with the cream and the milk. Violet makes butter at
Heritage Days, keeping up the old traditions and showing people how it was done.
She also grew up on a farm and there were nine in her family. She recalls her
mother churning as she watched her, which is how she learned. There is a great
love for Violet’s butter in the area. George describes the changes in the methods of
milking from the early days right through to today, from milking by hand, to using
the milking machine.
Page 27 of 74
Name: Joe Keane
Address: Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo.
Subject: A Tailor
Content: Joe Keane was born in Roscommon and grew up in Ballyhaunis, where he still
resides. His father was a journeyman tailor and he travelled around from town to
town. Making suits was a highly skilled job and a suit would last three years, he
says. Joe explains that he would have been a mechanic, but because his father
needed help he decided to become a tailor. He discusses the materials produced by
cottage industries and factories and says that suits were thicker then because there
wasn’t as much heating to be had. He remembers three tailor shops in Ballyhaunis
at one time. These made men’s clothes while a dressmaker catered for the women.
The tools he used were the measuring tape, triangular chalk, scissors and shears.
He details the skilled work of measuring people to make a perfect suit and declares
that it had to be perfect or he would be disgraced! He tells an interesting story of
how one man’s suit lasted twenty-seven years before he came in for a replacement.
Page 28 of 74
Name: Colm Kelly
Subject: A Woodworker and Farmer
Content: Colm Kelly is from Monasteraden. He begins the recording by recalling the fact
that tractors were just arriving when he was young and the donkey and cart was
becoming scarce. He believes the days of old were better because people had more
time for each other. In the 1960s, he emigrated to England in search of work and
his brother bought him his first fiddle while he was living in London. He later
became homesick and tired of city life, he returned to Ireland where he took over
the farm. Colm joined a monastery where he stayed for four years. He describes
life at the monastery; getting up early, praying and giving himself over to God. He
discusses his woodworking skills, and some pieces he had made, including art
pieces and coffee tables. He describes an art piece he created out of a piece of bog
oak, which he believes dates back to 1000 BC.
Page 29 of 74
Name: Ted Kelly
Address: Ballintogher, Co. Sligo.
Subject: The Straw Craft
Content: The late Ted Kelly is from Ballintogher where he grew up on a small farm with his
two brothers and sisters. He worked with his father on the farm and his father also
did straw work and thatching. Ted discusses life on the farm, ploughing the fields
with the horses and the sowing of oats and rye every year. He discusses the pigs
on the farm, their breeding and foodstuffs. He recalls going to the fair selling his
pigs and the slaughtering techniques of the time. Referring to straw work, Ted
explains that it was all scollop thatching that he did long ago and he describes the
work in detail. Every farm had plenty of straw and Ted made hen nests, hats,
chairs, mats and baskets out of straw.
Page 30 of 74
Name: Rodney Lomax
Address: Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Boat Builder
Content: Rodney Lomax is a boat builder who was born in Salthill, Co. Galway, and who
came to Mullaghmore in the early 1950s. He acquired a love for fishing and boats
when he was living for a short time in Donegal. He built his first canoe when he
was ten years old and he describes it in great detail. Later, he built bigger and
better lobster boats. He explains that he sourced his material from everywhere he
could find it, so that he didn’t have to pay. He also describes making his own paint
for his boats. Rodney says he has always loved making things. He details the
various boats he built for people over the years and how they were made. His love
for boats and his expertise in boat building may be clearly heard as he speaks about
his life.
Page 31 of 74
Name: Ted Maughan
Address: Cherryfield, Co. Mayo.
Subject: A Tinsmith Traveller
Content: Ted Maughan is a Traveller and a tinsmith. His father before him was also a
tinsmith. At the age of fifteen, his father allowed him to make small pieces from
tin and he recalls his father making cans of all shapes and sizes. These would be
sold to people for the transportation of water from a well or for holding milk. He
describes life as a Traveller in former days, going from door to door in a pony and
cart asking people to buy a can. The family lived on the side of the road and Ted
explains that a farmer would give them a bucket of spuds and a bag of turf. Ted
got married at the age of twenty and he details a traditional Traveller marriage
celebration of long ago. He talks about the tools that were used to make the tins
including an anvil, a hammer and a nail tool and the process of the manufacture of
some of the items he produced. He tells many stories and tales of life long ago as a
tinsmith.
Page 32 of 74
Name: Johnny McCann
Address: Milk Harbour, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Boat Builder
Content: Johnny McCann is a retired boat builder from Milk Harbour, Co. Sligo, and his
father and grandfather were also in the boat building business. Johnny began to
follow in their footsteps at the age of fourteen. He remembers people coming into
the workshop, where they also built horse carts when he was young. He recalls
building boats to order, and he describes how he put a boat together from start to
finish. His father was also a wheelwright and Johnny talks about how the wheel
was made and its different parts; naves, fellows, spokes and metal box. They made
the horse carts, shaping the shafts and side rails. Johnny also remembers the
meadows being cut with the scythes during his youth.
Page 33 of 74
Name: Fintan McDonagh
Address: Carrownagulta, Drumnacool, Co. Sligo
Series title: Sligo Heritage Collection, First Series,
CD 34
Subject: A Hardworking Life
Content: The late Fintan McDonagh was born in 1921 in Carrownagulta. He never knew his
mother, as she died when he was very young. His father was a small farmer and
Fintan remembers him cutting acres and acres of meadows with a scythe to make
money after the death of his wife. He describes how the pig would be slaughtered
on the farm when he was a child. The blood was used for the pudding and the
bladder was used as a football. He remembers milking the cows and the daily
practices on the farm. He talks about working in the mines, digging coal and how
the rats warned you if there was danger around. Fintan discusses his love for
greyhounds and how he trained and walked them for racing and he also recalls
competing in races as a young lad, when he was a very good athlete. He ran
mainly to earn money, as the prize for winning was £1. Towards the end of the
recording he discusses the fairies and some of the superstitions surrounding them.
Page 34 of 74
Name: Joe McGowan (Part 1)
Subject: Old Farming Practices
Content: Joe McGowan was born in a kitchen bed at his home in Mullaghmore. He begins
by describing what a country house looked like in days gone by. The McGowan
family have a long history in Mullaghmore and Joe reflects on the many changes
that have occurred there through the years. He remembers working the land long
ago, learning everything from his father. He recalls how the crops were planted on
the farm in his time, mainly oats and rye and the managing of the hens and
chickens, the milking of the cows and the calving each year. A calf was a very
valuable animal which was kept in the kitchen for two or three weeks initially.
Losing a cow was a financial tragedy due to the lack of income. Joe recalls the
paraffin lamp and the whitewashing of the walls. He remembers everybody being
very neighbourly in the area and always having time for a chat. He recalls the
building of the hay rick at the side of the house, which was a very big and
important job and the weather had to be just right, as a whole day was needed for
the work. He discusses making the reek in great detail and describes happy
memories of jumping up and down on the hay.
Page 35 of 74
Subject: Old Farming Practices
Content: In the second recording, Joe McGowan recalls every house as being thatched in
former days when everybody grew rye and oats. The rye was used for thatching
and the grain was feed for the cattle. Joe says it was his father who taught him how
to thatch and he describes ‘scutching’ the rye to prepare it for thatching so that
weeds would not shoot up out of the roof when the job was completed. Everybody
was self-sufficient long ago, as everything you needed was sourced at home,
except perhaps tea and flour. Joe talks about the rents and rates that people had to
pay and he says that most country people were too proud to be in debt, so they
always paid when they could. He remembers being taken out of school to help his
father cut turf in the bog and discusses the footing of the turf and the clamping of
the turf in great detail. He recalls asses and carts taking the turf home in the early
days and he says that the horse and cart, which came later, was much better and
faster. He has memories of people making their own entertainment with the
country house dances and he plays a few tunes on the melodeon to give us a
sample of what the music was like at the dances in those days. At the end of this
recording, Joe recalls the tradition of the mummers who were out before Christmas
in days long ago, dressed up in disguise, going house to house, playing their
instruments. He enjoyed it very much and had a great time with the neighbours.
Page 36 of 74
Subject: Old Traditions and Memories of America
Content: In the third recording, Joe talks briefly about the traditions of the Brideógs and the
Wrenboys. He remembers bonfires in the area on bonfire night on the 23rd of June
and the customs surrounding this and Halloween. He recalls the tricks they played
on people at Halloween including stealing the gate from the school. There was no
money in the area when he was a young man and people were emigrating to places
all over the world. Joe decided to go to America because things were better there
and he got work as a carpenter before he was drafted into the army. He describes
being trained in the army, being taught to kill, and doing combat training. His
arrival in America was a big culture shock he says and he talks extensively about
his time in the army where he worked as an engineer. He recalls the American
soldiers as having a disdain for all things non-American. The army “leaves a mark
on you,” he says. Having left the army he returned to carpentry, and other pursuits.
He was married and had four children before he decided to come back to Ireland in
1976. Joe later returned to Mullaghmore to raise his family and is now retired.
Page 37 of 74
Name: Kieron Melody (Part 1)
Address: Drumfad, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Sculptor/Stonemason
Content: Kieron Melody is a sculptor and stonemason who came to Sligo in 1982 to study
art in the Regional Technical College. A lecturer there introduced him to stone
carving and the techniques involved. On graduation, he specialised in stone
carving, mainly in limestone and he worked with a sculptor named James
McKenna. Kieron discusses some projects he has worked on in the area, namely
standing stones and he remarks on how timeless they are. He says that selecting
stones for his work is quite difficult and that his work is very abstract. He talks
about introducing school students to stone carving techniques and in 1997 he was
asked to teach stone carving to prisoners in Castlerea. He describes the enthusiasm
of the prisoners who were interested in the work and how he enjoyed working with
them and giving of his time and assistance.
Page 38 of 74
Name: Kieron Melody (Part 2)
Subject: A Sculptor/Stonemason
Content: In the second recording, Kieron Melody discusses his work as a stonemason. He
recalls the small farm he grew up on with his parents and two siblings. He
discusses his old house and bringing in the hay on the farm. He describes studying
the old walls when he knocked them to see how they were built. Most of the stone
was sourced from the land and Kieron talks extensively about the building of old
walls and remembers finding horse harnesses, shoes and bottles underneath some
walls. Finally he talks about the many houses which use stone today and its
appearance in the modern house.
Page 39 of 74
Name: Seamus Moore (Part 1)
Subject: Strawcraft/ A Farmer
Content: Seamus Moore is from Drumfad, an only son in a family of seven children. He
recalls that his introduction to farming involved minding the horses at the age of
four. He also remembers having the peculiar task of taking ticks off the horses’
noses when he was quite young. Seamus describes learning how to thatch,
beginning with twisting straw ropes, which was very exact work. He remembers
the porter being delivered on the days when they were making the hay rick and the
excitement involved. He remembers bacon and cabbage being made for dinner by
his mother and discusses in great detail the preserving techniques they used to keep
the bacon and other meat fresh. There was never any waste of food. Seamus has
memories of making St. Brigid’s crosses out of Cíob, a coarse mountain grass,
which were put on the window and blessed. Also recalled were the customs
surrounding Christmas, including leaving a cake out on Christmas Eve. Halloween
and its customs are also remembered.
Page 40 of 74
Name: Seamus Moore (Part 2)
Subject: Strawcraft/A Farmer
Content: Seamus Moore discusses some superstitions from bygone days in the second
recording. He talks about the finding of a famine graveyard in the area and the
making of a memorial for it. He explains a besom (a brush made of heather) and
its use and he describes how it was made. He discusses the mummers going out
before Christmas, the characters they played and he recalls seeing and enjoying
them when he was young. While he was involved with the strawboys he became
interested in straw hat making which he enjoys and he describes how he made
straw hats.
Page 41 of 74
Name: Tom Nealon (Part 1)
Address: Tourlestrane, Co. Sligo.
Content: Tom Nealon was born in 1928 on a small farm in Tourlestrane. He is a basket
weaver who works with willow and sally. He remembers his two grandfathers
thatching long ago. He talks about his experience of getting turf from the bog and
he says he made his first basket at eight years of age and explains that his father
showed him how to make it. Tom also talks about his father’s time in the army.
He remembers planting and maintaining sally gardens for the making of creels and
he details making the creels and the techniques involved. The creel had many uses,
including spreading dung from an ass and cart. Also recalled were some old cures
for sicknesses used in former times. Tom talks at length about his time harvesting
the land and working in England to make a living.
Page 42 of 74
Name: Tom Nealon (Part 2)
Address: Tourlestrane, Co. Sligo.
Content: In the second recording, Tom Nealon initially discusses going to America in 1956
where he got married. Then, in relation to his craft, he explains that two creels
were needed to put on each side of an ass and he could make them any size the
customer wanted. He tells many stories of the creels he made for people. He also
remembers the great country house dances and the enjoyment to be had there. He
discusses the length of many marriages today as compared to former days. He also
recalls the animals he kept, particularly the pigs, he describes how they were
slaughtered and mentions that pigs were very profitable and important to families
long ago.
Page 43 of 74
Name: Peadar O’Neill (Part 1)
Address: Enniscrone, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Fisherman
Content: Peadar O’Neill is a fisherman from Enniscrone. He began fishing with his father
and his grandfather before him was also a fisherman. He talks about his
grandfather and his father who would go trawling in sailing boats, which was very
skilled work. Peadar remembers catching lots of lobsters and other fish when he
was young and he describes how he used to make trawls and set them up. He
discusses a time when bailiffs were lifting lots of nets because of illegal net fixing
in the water. Also described in detail is the making of the lobster pots and how
they worked. Peadar remembers fishing for herring in his own boat and the
difficulties involved.
Page 44 of 74
Name: Peadar O’Neill (Part 2)
Address: Enniscrone, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Fisherman
Content: Peadar O’Neill discusses herring fishing in this second recording and explains that
the herring disappeared from Sligo due to over fishing. He relates some
superstitions surrounding fishermen, such as not whistling on a boat and he shares
many stories about sailing in the sea years ago and the old ways of navigation. He
talks about the breeding habits of the fish and how this was exploited in fishing.
Also talked about was the salmon fishing, and Peadar says every pound made from
fishing was well-earned.
Page 45 of 74
Name: Michael Quirke (Part 1)
Address: Teesan, Sligo.
Subject: A Sculptor
Content: Michael Quirke was born in Sligo town. His father was a butcher and was known
as one of the best cattle dealers in Sligo. Michael talks about his father’s work for
Pat Healy and his involvement in the Civil War. He recalls Sligo town of years
ago and he remembers not having any interest in the family business, but he started
work in his father’s shop in 1958. He explains that he was quite good at the
mechanical side, cutting meat and slaughtering. He remembers starting to carve
plasticine figures at school, which he loved doing and he maintains that he didn’t
need toys in his childhood because he could make any toy he wanted out of
plasticine. Michael goes on to talk about the belief in fairies or the shee long ago
and the stories which surrounded them. He shares many stories of ancient Ireland
and he recalls being inspired by reading Greek mythology.
Page 46 of 74
Name: Michael Quirke (Part 2)
Address: Teesan, Sligo.
Subject: A Sculptor
Content: In this second recording, Michael Quirke remembers the first figures he ever
carved using scrap wood and a butchers knife. All his work is ornamental and he
explains that he dislikes people dictating to him how to do his work. He recalls a
time when he was famously asked to be a Druid at a wedding and he describes the
event vividly. When Michael’s father died, butchery was changing due to
regulations in force, so Michael closed the business and began making carvings on
a full-time basis. He describes the mythological crouched tiger figure he has made
and what it means to him and he obviously takes great pride in his work.
Page 47 of 74
Name: Cillian Rogers
Address: Dromore West, Co. Sligo.
Subject: An Artist
Content: Cillian Rogers is from Dromore West. He was born in Ballymote in 1954. He
remembers his father’s shop where everything was sold and he remembers his
grandfather having the first generator and car in the area. Cillian discusses in great
detail the Famine and the workhouses locally. One workhouse in particular, where
this recording took place is described in detail. He discusses its history and the
stories surrounding it and also recalls the stories about people dying in the
workhouse and being given pauper’s funerals. He recalls a time when everyone
was self-sufficient. He was always doing a bit of drawing and designing at school
where it wasn’t really appreciated. He recalls going to the National College of Art
and Design in Dublin in 1972 and describes seeing a whole new world opening up
there. He talks about some of the work he has done, including a statue of two men
talking, in an age where everyone had time for each other and a black pig piece he
has created. Cillian discusses Irish folklore, which fascinates him and has inspired
his pieces. He has also taught sculpture and really enjoys teaching.
Page 48 of 74
Name: Brian Rogers (Part 1)
Subject: A Thatcher
Content: Brian Rogers was born in Ballymote, Co Sligo and at the age of nine the family
moved to Dromore West. He studied Sociology in Trinity College which he really
enjoyed. He trained to thatch using reeds and he discusses the different types of
reeds used in thatching. Brian talks about scollop thatching and the oaten straw
used, the techniques involved, the tools employed including the leather knife, the
bittle and the bat. Brian also explains the differences between farmers’ thatching
and professional thatching.
Page 49 of 74
Name: Brian Rogers (Part 2)
Subject: A Thatcher
Content: In this second recording, Brian Rogers traces the history of Irish thatching and
discusses thatching as it was done in the 1700s and 1800s. He explains that the
quality degraded over time. He talks about the architectural heritage of thatching
and discusses the disappearance of thatched houses. Also discussed is the faster
disintegration of today’s roofs, which he believes is the result of acid rain and the
lifestyles of people today. Brian explains that bluestone is great for preserving
straw roofs, and he discusses the advantages and disadvantages of its use.
Page 50 of 74
Name: Kathleen Scully and Mae Henry
Subject: Crochet and Knitting
‘Wrenboys, Athea, Co. Limerick, 1946’ from
sligoheritage.com (c) Joe McGowan
Content: Kathleen Scully was born in 1911. She remembers her mother teaching her how to
crochet and to knit. She explains that someone was doing crochet in every house at
that time. Kathleen loves knitting and crochet and talks about some pieces she has
made. She recalls the Black and Tans and the War of Independence and shares
some memories of those troubled times. She recalls her first bicycle which she got
for seven pounds and how she enjoyed cycling to Sligo for groceries. Kathleen
recalls the country house dances and she remembers the local musicians playing at
Christmas. Mae Henry also adds her memories of the dances and their different
names. She also recalls the Wrenboys and the disguises they wore. Memories of
Hallowe’en are discussed including the traditions of biting an apple on a string and
getting a coin out of a bath of water with one’s mouth.
Page 51 of 74
Name: Mick Shannon (Part 1)
Address: Ballina, Co. Mayo.
Subject: An Instrument Maker, Blacksmith and Musician
Content: Mick Shannon owns a workshop where he makes fiddles. His father was a
blacksmith who owned two forges, when there was plenty of work to be had. He
discusses the differences between the turf spade and the breast spade and he
remembers first becoming involved in his father’s work when he was young,
making little fittings for horse carts. He describes grinding sandstone and putting it
into the fire to clean a piece of metal. Mick recalls the country house dances long
ago and he remembers beginning to play the fiddle at nine years of age. All the
chat and gossip was in the forges on rainy days he remembers. He discusses the
hardening and cooling of the steel at the forge and says gates made long ago last
much longer than those of today, because of the quality of the steel. Mick has
memories of his father’s work and describes how it was done and he discusses old
cures for warts and shingles in bygone days.
Page 52 of 74
Name: Mick Shannon (Part 2)
Address: Ballina, Co. Mayo.
Subject: An Instrument Maker, Blacksmith and Musician
Content: In the second recording, Mick Shannon recalls that he emigrated to England in the
1950s where he spent twenty-five years working as a blacksmith and a musician.
He was very well paid as a blacksmith, he remembers, but had to leave the trade
due to illness. Mick played the fiddle over all the years in England, performing in
competitions and he describes his many experiences. He makes fiddles and he
recalls learning the craft from a German man in England. He describes how a
fiddle is made, the wood used, the techniques in carving them with the chisel and
brushing and sanding the fiddles before applying coats of varnish. Great skill is
required, he says. He talks about some fiddle makers in Ireland and notes that his
fiddles are played all around the world. This recording concludes as he plays a few
wonderful tunes on the fiddle.
Page 53 of 74
Name: John Surlis
Subject: Woodwork and Furniture
Content: John Surlis is from Monasteraden. His father was a woodworker who was invited
to appear on the ‘Hands’ programme for RTÉ. He had a workshop where he made
chairs, stools, ass carts and wheelbarrows. John recalls his own first job with the
ESB which he started in 1954. He remembers when electricity arrived to the area
and that some people were afraid it would burn the house down. He also recalls
how the electricity was charged. John wired houses from the poles to the meters
and he remembers other jobs like digging holes for the poles with a shovel and pick
which was very hard work. He has other memories of the time, including the
tinkers of long ago, nice people who repaired and made cans. He retired from the
ESB in 1994 due to ill health.
Page 54 of 74
Name: Seamus Tansey
Address: Gurteen, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Musician
Content: Seamus Tansey is a well renowned flute player from Gurteen, Co Sligo, known all
over Ireland and beyond. Seamus remembers his mother playing the fiddle and his
father playing the tin whistle when he was younger. He was drawn to the tin
whistle because it was easier to play, he says, and he didn’t like the fiddle because
it appeared so complicated to him at the time. He recalls Christmas time when the
Wrenboys came around to the house. He says their flute playing was amazing and
he absolutely loved the music they played. He listened to them with awe and
wanted to play like them from that day forward. Seamus discusses the bodhran
players of today and of long ago and explains the differences in playing. He was
inspired by musicians and names those who influenced him. Seamus recalls
playing the flute at a young age in the All Ireland competitions and he has great
memories of the competition he faced. He provides a descriptive account of the
céilidhs long ago which lasted for five hours, and describes the atmosphere and the
dances. Seamus has a great love for Irish music and is determined to keep the
tradition alive.
Page 55 of 74
Name: Clare Walsh (Part 1)
Address: Castlebaldwin, Co. Sligo.
Subject: The Story of Flax
Content: Clare Walsh is from Castlebaldwin. She remembers attending school which was
situated beside her house and enjoying her schooling. Clare trained as a nurse in
England and she recalls applying for and being offered a nursing job in Canada.
She describes her experiences there. On the way home to Ireland she travelled
through the United States. Clare later worked for three years in Kanturk, Co. Cork,
before she moved on again to Tanzania in Africa. She accepted a voluntary
nursing job there and she explains the similarity in humour between the Irish and
the African people. Back in Ireland once more, she describes how an accident on a
bicycle ended her extraordinary nursing career.
Page 56 of 74
Name: Clare Walsh (Part 2)
Address: Castlebaldwin, Co. Sligo.
Subject: The Story of Flax
Content: In the second recording, Clare Walsh remembers when her mother and brother
passed away leaving her and her father alone. She describes life in the country
where people had everything they needed and were self-sufficient. Clare recalls
being told about the sowing of the flax long ago and the process involved
information passed down from her grandfather’s time. She talks about the history
of linen in Co. Sligo and she describes a blanket which was passed down to her, the
material for which was grown and weaved in the area. Also recalled are stories
told to her about the famine. She discusses the sicknesses of years ago and shares
some memories of old traditional cures from bygone days.
Page 57 of 74
Name: Tony Toher
Address: Rosses Point, Co. Sligo.
Subject: Yeats County
Recorded by: Maurice O’Keeffe – Irish Life & Lore
Content:
Track 1: His background, education and joining a family business at the age of seventeen.
Track 2: Contracting TB. A description of the family pharmacy business in Stephen Street,
Sligo.
Track 3: Coining the phrase ‘Yeats County’. He speaks about the origins of the Yeats
Society and his time biking around the county. He discusses W.B. Yeats’s interest
in the supernatural.
Track 4: His sailing cruises are discussed.
Track 5: His working career in the 1950s and 1960s. Sligo’s Industrial Development
Corporation. Sligo people and the class distinction between them.
Track 6: His passion for racing cars, and motorbike racing. His membership of the
Connacht Motor Club. Music in the town is discussed and writing articles for a
magazine on the business of pharmacy. Finally, his time as a founder member of
Sligo Field Club.
Page 58 of 74
Name: John McTernan
Address: Ard na Veigh, Sligo.
Subject: A Former County Librarian and Historian
Content:
Track 1: Growing up in the 1930s and 1940s in Riverstown. He discusses his farming
background and joining the library after his education. He describes the library
services in those days, the staff members and Nora Niland the County Librarian
and her character.
Track 2: Moving to Cork and becoming an Assistant Librarian. His time there over ten
years.
Track 3: His appointment to Kilkenny Library as Librarian and his time there in the 1970s.
Track 4: His appointment to Sligo as County Librarian in 1979. He speaks about his time
there until retirement in 1995. He discusses the Yeats Art Collection and Museum
and the inspiration for his first publication, a bibliography for libraries.
Track 5: His legacy to libraries.
Page 59 of 74
Name: Ronan McEvilly
Address: Cleveragh Road, Sligo.
Subject: A Passion for Art
Content:
Track 1: His invitation to the Board of Members for Sligo’s Art Gallery in 1977, serving as
Administrator and Director.
Track 2: His background, and his interest in art generally.
Track 3: He discusses his father Tom, who worked closely with Nora Niland promoting the
local arts in the 1950s. He talks about their achievements and about his time as
CEO with Sligo VEC.
Track 4: He discusses his interest in art exhibitions.
Track 5: The Yeats Society moving into the present Yeats Memorial Building, an Allied
Irish Bank house. He discusses the great interest in Jack B. Yeats’s work, and the
collection built up by Norah Niland, a former County Librarian.
Page 60 of 74
Name: Madame Felicity MacDermot (Part 1)
Address: Coolavin House, Monasteraden, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Family History
SOURCE OF PIC?
Content:
Track 1:
Track 2:
Track 3:
Track 4:
The late Madame MacDermot, her own background.
Her education. She traces the ancestry of the maternal side of her family.
Her first visit to Ireland and her first impressions.
Meeting her future husband Charles for the first time. She describes his time in
Malaya and his work on a rubber plantation. She discusses the Second World War
years, and his three-and-a-half years in a prison camp there. Taking over the
farming business from his father in 1948 and building up the dairy herd.
Track 5: She spoke about her own enquiring mind and her passion for local history.
Track 6: The local placenames.
Track 7: Reading from the family diaries.
Page 61 of 74
Name: Madame Felicity MacDermot (Part 2)
Address: Coolavin House, Monasteraden, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Family History
(Source:
MacDermot)
Mr
Charles
Content:
Track 1: A discussion on her grandfather’s interest in and investment in Irish railways.
Track 2: The MacDermot home, its construction and architecture.
Track 3: Farming practices in dairying. The local village, its shops and people and the local
fairs.
Track 4: Her involvement in local schemes, including mapping and community
employment.
Page 62 of 74
Name: John Mullaney (Part 1)
Address: O’Connell Street, Sligo.
Subject: Drapery and Travel Agency Businesses
Content:
Track 1: A detailed account of the previous owners of the Mullaney property.
Track 2: John’s background is traced back to the middle of the 18th century. His ancestors’
involvement in the Land League. He discusses his father’s apprenticeship with
Moon’s in Galway. His father returned to Sligo in 1909.
Track 3: The early years of the Mullaney business in Sligo.
Track 4: Joining the business in 1950 after serving his time there in the previous ten years.
Track 5: The travelling business in the company, which was there since the mid-19th
century. He talks at great length about the sailing ship days and the early days of
domestic air travel.
Page 63 of 74
Name: John Mullaney (Part 2)
Address: O’Connell Street, Sligo.
Subject: Drapery and Travel Agency Businesses
Content:
Track 1: He recalls all the businesses on O’Connell Street, Sligo, with a vivid account of the
trading that went on.
Track 2: The artists in the town, including signwriters, craft workers and carpenters. The
specialist shops in earlier days.
Track 3: He discusses shop fittings and fixtures and cash registers.
Track 4: He recalls the old names of the streets in Sligo and also the importers. The general
merchants, tailors, hardware stores, millers, coal merchants and transport methods.
Page 64 of 74
Subject: A Keen Local Historian
Content:
Track 1: Recalling some of the interviewees recorded for this project (Sligo Heritage
Collection). Growing up in Mullaghmore in the 1940s and 1950s, coming from a
small farming and fishing background. He traces his family’s ancestry.
Track 2: While walking around the locality, he discusses the placenames.
Track 3: He talks about the people who lived in Mullaghmore and about living like
islanders.
Track 4: He discusses the seasons, customs and beliefs.
Track 5: He recalls a supernatural story, recorded from a local woman.
Page 65 of 74
Subject: A Keen Local Historian
Content:
Track 1: Emigrating to America in 1961. His work there and being drafted into the Army.
Track 2: The reasons why he returned home in 1976 and the difficulties he met with in
looking for work. His involvement in farming.
Track 3: He discusses his own writings, the inspiration for his work and his love of writing.
Page 66 of 74
Name: Peter Diamond (Part 1)
Address: Toberpatrick, Dromard, Co. Sligo.
Subject: Monumental Sculptor
Content:
Track 1: A visit to the workplace of Peter Diamond and a discussion on his apprenticeship,
the materials used in the craft and his ancestral involvement in the monumental
sculpture business.
Track 2: The Irish Land Commission in the area in the mid-twentieth century. The manual
labour in the growing of crops, dairying, cutting turf and transport.
Track 3: Quarrying and the techniques used in the cutting of limestone. Blacksmithing is
also included on this track.
Track 4: The lettering and designs crafted on limestone. Occupational hazards and the large
numbers of people who worked for his ancestors.
Page 67 of 74
Name: Peter Diamond (Part 2)
Address: Toberpatrick, Dromard, Co. Sligo.
Content:
Track 1: The improvements in mechanisation used in cutting stone over the years. He
describes an incident in a graveyard during the recent Troubles, involving the Free
State soldiers.
Track 2: A strange experience in Manorhamilton graveyard.
Track 3: The use of the oil lamp in the workplace and at home. Surfacing the local roads
with tar for the first time and the introduction of the tractor to the area.
Track 4: Recalling the tinkers who came to the area.
Track 5: The conversation returns to the polishing of stone and Peter being nearly the last to
do hand-lettering on stone.
Track 6: A discussion on the future of monumental sculpture. Also, a discussion on the
local placenames, and the difference between the Catholic and the Church of
Ireland graveyards.
Track 7: A discussion on haunted houses and haunted bushes.
Page 68 of 74
Name: Peter Diamond
Address: Toberawnaun, Co. Sligo.
Content:
Track 1: Tracing his ancestors. Life beside the coast and the quarrying of limestone.
Track 2: The older generation quarrying the limestone. Transport of limestone by boat and
cart.
Track 3: The collecting and transporting of limestone from Ballinrobe, journeymen
stonecutters.
Track 4: The importation of marble and other materials in recent times. Also, the stone dust
problems in the workshop. Wages in the 1950s for stonecutters. A discussion on
the difference between machine work and hand work.
Track 5: Journeymen on the move for better wages. The introduction of rural electrification
in 1953 to the area.
Track 6: The box tombs locally, worked on by his ancestors for the Blacks, the local
landlords. A discussion on the tools of the craft.
Track 7: Tracing the maternal side of his family. The mobile film shows. His belief in
ghosts and the changing times.
Page 69 of 74
Name: Eddie Higgins (Part 1)
Address: Castlegal, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Postman’s Stories
Content:
Track 1: His background, growing up in the 1920s and 1930s, local customs and the value
of old money are all discussed.
Track 2: Survival by farming a seventeen-acre farm. A detailed account of old funeral
customs. House stations in 1947.
Track 3: A postman’s career. Local relief schemes. The importance of his job locally, with
anecdotal stories.
Track 4: The customs of Halloween. An anecdotal story about a local character. Carrying
the dole explained.
Track 5: The postman’s bike. His retirement and how it came about.
Page 70 of 74
Name: Eddie Higgins (Part 2)
Address: Castlegal, Co. Sligo.
Subject: A Postman’s Stories
Content:
Track 1: The great storytellers locally. While attending a storytelling session, recalling the
customs associated with the wake.
Track 2: Local nicknames are discussed. A piece of local folklore relating to a curse.
Track 3: A ghost story connected to a haunted house.
Track 4: The meaning of local placenames
Track 5: The local Coast Watch during the Emergency Period. The warplanes which flew
over.
Track 6: Reflecting on Eddie’s life.
Page 71 of 74
Name: Bertie Monds (Part 1)
Subject: Road Working
Content:
Track 1: The origins of the Monds name in Sligo. The name appears in Bertie’s maternal
and paternal families.
Track 2: The burial of William Butler Yeats and Bertie’s involvement. His caretaking of
the local church and an anecdote about Alfie Carroll.
Track 3: Bertie’s work as a carter at the Mill in Milltown, and a description of the
workplace.
Track 4: Tarring the local roads for the first time, and carting the tar from the harbour in
Sligo.
Track 5: His experiences of the supernatural world are described.
Page 72 of 74
Subject: The Strawboys
Content:
Track 1: His interest in the Strawboys and the traditions and customs associated with them,
also their music and dress.
Track 2: The craft of creating the outfits for the Strawboys.
Track 3: Recalling Jimmy Scanlon, a great horse and pony man.
Track 4: The extraordinary gift for working with animals which Jimmy Scanlon had. The
making of the special mouthpiece for a horse.
Track 5: The horse whisperer – a Donegal man recalled. The tragic death of Jimmy
Scanlon. Bertie’s long memory of working with horses.
Page 73 of 74
Subject: Customs and Traditions in the Animal World
Content:
Track 1:
Track 2:
Track 3:
Track 4:
Track 5:
Track 6:
A discussion on crickets and cats.
An extraordinary cat.
Superstitions associated with crickets.
Memories of the corncrake, and the shooting of pheasants and pigeons.
A story associated with a famine ship.
The Lissadell Estate and the employees there. Bertie’s uncle was gamekeeper
there and also worked in the stable yard. The cutting and harvesting of oaks in far
off days.
Track 7: Changes and development locally in the 1960s and the growth of Bertie’s own
farm. The transition from fairs to marts.
Page 74 of 74

Sligo Heritage Collection First Series

Transcription

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