School: Liath-Mhuine

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1. The Care of Feet

   

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   In olden times people did not wear shoes until they were grown up men and women. And even then only wore them on special occasions such as going to Church or market it was usual on such occasions for the people to carry their foot-wear under arm till they came near the town. And removed them again when they left the town.
   In connection with this custom there is a story told of an old woman, who on her way returning from Mass removed her shoes. As she was hurrying from Mass she knocked her foot aginst a stone limping to the side of the road she examined the damaged toe, saying as she did so. "Thanks be to God I had not me shoes on or they would be ruined."
   Very few people nowadays go bare-footed through-out the year, it is still customary for school children to go bare-footed during the summer months
   Up to a very few years ago there were at least three shoe-makers in constant employment in this district the shoes were very strong, but owing to the advance of machinery which produces shoes at a much cheaper rate, those who were engaged in making hand made shoes lost their employment and consequently have to turn their hands to some other means of [?] livelihood

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. clothing and accessories (~2,403)
         1. shoes (~1,841)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Joan Lyons

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Cooga, Co. Sligo