School: Doirín an Lomáin (roll number 14235)

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1. Old Crafts

   

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   The custom of farmers and carriers carrying whips when driving horses seems to be dying out in this locality. Thirty five or forty years ago practically every farmer going to market carried a whip. When not driving he kept it tied around him. The lash was in front and passing over the left shoulder and the handle was at the back, and the lash tied to the handle at the right hip. I remember carriers carting eggs from Goleen to Skibbereen who heralded their entrance into Ballydehob by loud cracking of the whip. They usually stopped for "a pint" at the bottom of the town. On leaving the public-house the whip-cracking which sounded like revolver shots started again, and continued until they were out of town. Carters or carriers drawing goods from the Ballydehob Railway Station to Ballydehob, a distance of about 600 yards, usually carried whips, and walked by the side of the loaded car with a long reins, and also practised the whip-cracking. Last year I saw a number of men drawing stones for steam-rolling purposes through Ballydehob and not a single man carried a whip. Whips are still used by drivers of light cars.
   The whips used by jarveys or drivers of sidecars were known as "craynicks". The lash was fastened to the handle with goose quills which were bound firmly with cord made of about six threads of hemp twisted together, and known as "wax end".

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   John Barry

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   54

   Occupation

   Teacher

   Address

   Derreennalomane, Co. Cork