School: An Clochar, Cathair Saidhbhín (roll number 13542)
- Location:
- Cahersiveen, Co. Kerry
- Teacher: An tSr. M. de Lourdes Stac
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0476, Page 319
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- Some people think that the children in the old days had no enjoyment or no toys. That was not so indeed. The children like their parents were resourceful, and even though they had no yo-yos electric trains or sleeping-dolls, they amused themselves instead with their simple toys - crude home-made little things, but these brought as much joy to our Séans and Caits as modern mechanical toys. The little lasses made their own dolls by getting an old stocking packed up with wool and by sewing it all around. A few white stitches formed the eyes and a red one the mouth and wool was sewn about the head to substitute for the hair. Children had still another method for making dolls and the materials they used were simple crude things - the potato the turnip and some flowers. The turnip or potato was so shaped so as to substitute for the head of the doll. A long stick attached to the head was supposed to represent the body of the doll. Two little blue flowers represented the eyes and a red berry the mouth. Two bits of sticks substitute for the hands. This crude form was dressed in a neat dress and cap which was usually made from paper. When the baby was fretful and teased his little nurse who was little older than he was, she managed to procure one of grannie's check-kerchiefs and put a "Baidhreán" into it and folded it up into a doll and so made a "Breaghán" with which the baby played and soon forgot his tears. The girls(continues on next page)
