School: St Peter's, Phibsboro
- Location:
- Phibsborough, Co. Dublin
- Teacher: Ss. Breathnach
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0799, Page 230
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- XML School: St Peter's, Phibsboro
- XML Page 230
- XML “Last Existing Native Speaker of Irish in the Farney District”
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- Micky Lennon - Present Age:- 74 years
Address:- Townland of Tusker - Laragh, Castleblayney
Occupation:- Farmer + Blacksmith
Micky has a good deal of Irish naturally acquired but owing to want of practice his Irish is perforce confined to narrow topical limits. He has the true Farney Blas can recite some stories and a few songs. He is the last of the native speakers. Micky is an expert farrier and even at his advanced age will yield precedence to none as a maker of a set of shoes. He still pursues his daily toil at the anvil.During August of this present year I enjoyed some pleasant hours in Mickey's company at the delightful little seaside resort of Warrenpoint, on the shores of Carlingford Lough. It was while sitting on a wall overlooking the placid waters of the Lough that he recounted the following story in the traditional mode of the Seanachaidhe. The story "Tom the Fool" is an English version of a story which Mickey heard some 60 years ago told both in Irish and English by one Eoin Bhrighid Cumiskey of Tusker who died about 1882. Eoin was a fluent speaker of Irish and a(continues on next page)
