School: Béal Átha 'n Fheadha (B.)
- Location:
- Ballina, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: D. P. Ó Cearbhaill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0146, Page 319
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- Not very many years ago boys and girls, except in the larger towns, were in the habit of going without boots or shoes all during the year, but now it is very seldom any of them, even the poorest, go barefoot except during the warmest days of summer. Boots are now bought in the shops but fifty years ago they were all made locally by hand and to measure. There are no boot makers now but some of the old ones still do repairing. The change came about by the importation of machine made boots and shoes from English factories. Clogs were made in this locality fifty years ago and were worn by labourers and farm workers. An attempt was made a few years ago to revive the manufacture of clogs but it ended in failure for want of patronage. Leather was made here in former years but the last of the tanners, a man named William Sheerin died about sixty years ago. There is one man living near this town at present who never wore any foot covering even in the coldest weather. He is locally known as John Nancy and in former years another, Paddy Deane frequently walked from Belmullet to Ballina barefooted a distance of 36 Irish miles.
- Informant
- Patrick J. Dunphy
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 73
- Address
- Ballina, Co. Mayo
