School: Druim na Rath (roll number 12428)

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1. Droim na Rátha

   

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   Druim na Ráth

   
   This townland is situated in one of the wildest spots in Donegal. Look around, nothing to be seen but hills and mountains bogs and lakes. Yet the scenery is unrivalled. Errigal, Muckish and others of the loftiest mountains in Donegal are to be seen, no matter in what direction we look. Between the mountains run fertile valleys. In these valleys the inhabitants live. They eke out an existence by cultivating small patches of land on the hillsides. Numbers of hardy mountain sheep and goats roam the mountains. Large quantities of turf are saved and sold in the neighbouring towns. Each household also possesses a small number of cattle, Pigs and poultry are kept. The men go to Scotland and England in search of work, while at home, the women make lace sprigging etc. Nearly every family has some one in America whose timely letters help to keep the wolf from door. On the whole the people of the area around Druim na Ráth live more comfortably than a stranger might be inclined to believe.

   The people are bilingual - speaking either Irish or English with almost equal facility. Irish is the language of the home, but if a stranger is met with he usually addressed in English. The idea is that a well dressed stranger is not likely to know Irish: a relic of the bad old days gone by.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. place-space-environment
      1. local lore, place-lore (~10,595)

   Language

   English

   Location

   Droim na Rátha, Co. Donegal

   Collector

   Éamonn Mac Dhúrnáin

   Other names

   Éamonn Mac Dhúrnáin

   Edward Durning

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Múinteoir