School: Swords (B.) (roll number 755)
- Location:
- Swords, Co. Dublin
- Teacher: A. Hamill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0789, Page 91
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- XML School: Swords (B.)
- XML Page 91
- XML “Travelling Folk”
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- Travelling Folk better known as gypsies, tinkers, and tramps, are commonly seen in Ireland. Every week brings its traveller to the doors. As long as living people can remember, people have been travelling. Some of these people are not too badly off, while others are very poor.They make their living by making things and selling them to the people in the different districts they go to. The articles are usually small, and easy to make, such as cans, tins of different sizes, tea-drawers, strainers floor and chimney brushes, and wire and churn scrulbers, the latter was made of heather, and made the milk very sweet.Most people buy these articles, not because they want them, but for charity. Sometimes the travellers are able to buy provisions, with the money they get, while others have to depend on the people whose houses they go to, for their food.Long ago the travellers were welcome in a district, but, now they are not welcome, because they (are not) do much damage, particularly to the farmer, they take his crops and if they have animals, they (have) let them graze in his fields. They do not remain longer than a week in one place. Some of them sleep in their caravans, but others sleep in hay stacks and in the summer time they sleep in hay fields. They seldom have food with them.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- John de Largy
- Gender
- Male
- Informant
- John de Largy
- Relation
- Parent
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 50
