School: Damastown (roll number 12327)

Location:
Damastown, Co. Dublin
Teacher:
Delia Wilson

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Travelling Folk

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0787, Page 221

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The Donovans were, and are still a very famous travellling tribe in this locality. Martin Donovan the ancestor of this tribe was the oldest of them we knew. He is dead now about six years and is buried at the Catholic cemetery at Lusk. His wife was an enormous woman - nearly six foot six in height. Her maiden name was Kitty Cash and she is also dead. She was confirmed in Damastown Church in 1902. She was married the time she was confirmed. The rest of the family were also confirmed at that time.
There was a large family of Donovans. Kitty had a very large family (too numerous to count and name). A number of her family still traverse this locality.

Margaret Maguire was known locally
as "Margaret the Goat" because she used to have two or three goats tied on strings around her and also a dog. She used to hold great conversations with herself. You would hear her ever so far away talking. When annoyed by the young people she became very boisterous.

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Collector
Kathleen Gilsenan
Gender
female
Address
Damastown, Co. Dublin
Informant
(name not given)
Relation
parent
Gender
female
Age
51
Address
Damastown, Co. Dublin
Language
English