School: Ballycastle Boys' (roll number 14290)

Location:
Ballycastle, Co. Mayo
Teacher:
Mícheál de Búrca
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0140, Page 182

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0140, Page 182

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  1. XML School: Ballycastle Boys'
  2. XML Page 182
  3. XML “The Care of the Feet”

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  1. In former times there were many men and women who never were shoes or boots.
    They wore instead home spun stockings made without soles with a slot left on the back of the foot to slip over the second or third toes to keep the "Troithíns" in place. The people who wore those boasted of never having had a cold and usually lived to a great age. The kness and ankles were always protected from the cold.
    In keeping with those "Troithins" cuffs made of a brighter wool were worn to protects the wrists. There were others who wore shoes to church or to town.
    The people were "fleet of foot" in those days, messengers could run for miles across hill dale valley without being tired or "short of breath". The special messengers were called such names as Diarmyd a [?] or Páoú an gharraidh or Márín an t-sodar (Diarmyd running) Páoú the hare) (Márín
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. objects
      1. clothing and accessories (~2,403)
        1. shoes (~1,841)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    John Lenihan
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Ballycastle, Co. Mayo
    Informant
    Mrs Polke
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    63
    Address
    Ballinglen, Co. Mayo