School: Clashaganny (roll number 8051)

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1. On Fairs (continued)

   

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   fair because it was held in that place some fifty years ago it was famed for free fights. Men came there with no fair business but with ash plants and Black-thorn sticks to fight. The last fair that was held there the green ran red with blood and that was the cause it was changed from Ballinafad to Strokestown.
   One time there was a man and he went to America and for many years he worked in a gold mine. After some years he came back and went to the first fair in Strokestown thinking he was going to see a lot of blood and as he felt like striking a blow he drew out with his plant and knocked a man to the ground. He was not long until all the police in the (toe) town were around him but he did not let them catch him for he kept them away with his plant. He ran from the steeple to the bawn gate and in the end he got away and was never caught.
   Many years ago there were no trains or Lorries and the people had to walk the cattle from the town to where they were to be put into the ships and sent off to Englans and Scotland. This took more money than if they were sent away in Lorries because men had to be paid big sum's of money. Thesemen were called drovers. My father knew a drover who walked from Roscommon to Sligo which is about seventy miles, and did not think it a great walk.
   Some times the cattle buyer's go through the Country buying the cattle from the farmers. This does not please the towns-people at all for they would not have any (l) trade.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Ethna Shannon

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Manor, Co. Roscommon