School: Cros Riabhach

On this page

1. About Boots

   

   Share Share Post

   Locally, boots are always referred to as "shoes". All children even the poorest now wear boots (sometimes very strong) or wooden clogs in Winter but all even those of comfortable circumstances go bare-footed in Spring and Summer and into late Autumn.
   Boots are made locally, but lately many people weare shop boots many of the children wear high rubber-soled boots of a cheap type. Until very recently, it was the custom for farmers to buy material for re-soling their own or their children's shoes and most countrymen were able to do this work quite well.
   Wooden clogs were once made in the locality by a family still known as "The Cloggers".
   In frosty weather men and boys often wear straw ropes twisted round their boots. These ropes are called "sugaus"
   There is only one local shoemaker at present though twenty years ago there were at least five.
   An old man (Pat Reilly, Home Villa, Mullagh) told me he once knew a hedge-schoolmaster who applied to his uncle (Fr Tom Reilly) to be appointed in the local hedge-school and that the master came to the Priest's house barefooted.
   He afterwards had a salary of £7 per annum (Pat Reilly has been dead many years)

   

   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

   Informant

   Pat Reilly

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Mullagh, Co. Cavan