School: Swords (B.) (roll number 755)
- Location:
- Swords, Co. Dublin
- Teacher: A. Hamill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0789, Page 75
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- XML School: Swords (B.)
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- XML “Travelling Folk”
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- Travelling Folk are not so numerous in Ireland as they used to be, but different bands of them visit Swords every year. Some of these travellers are said to have money but most of them are very poor and they depend on the charity of the people.Most of them sell small articles such as tin cans, badges, combs, brushes, pins, laces, and other things. They buy some of these articles whole-sale and sell each article for twice its value, and they make the others themselves. Most people buy these things from them not that they want them but for charity.They are never welcome to any place, because they rob hay and put their donkeys, and ponies into people's fields, and they often burn hedges. They make little tents of rags and coats and sleep in them.The principal alms they take are; milk, butter, eggs bread potatoes and money. Most of them travel on ass and carts and some of them have caravans. The names of those that visit Swords are; the Purcells, the Cashes, and the Mohans.
- Collector
- Patrick Scahill
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Balheary, Co. Dublin
