School: Tobar Rua (roll number 15427)
- Location:
- Toberroe East, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Eibhlín, Bean Uí Mhuireagáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0016, Page 242
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- XML School: Tobar Rua
- XML Page 242
- XML “Travelling Folks”
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- Travelling folks are not so plentiful now as in former times, but as they were mostly old people they must be now dead. Long ago not a day passed without a traveller visiting the village. They always went alone and got a nights lodging in every village as they went by. They never stayed only for one night in any village and in whatever house they slept they slept on a bed of straw beside the fire. They were mostly all very poor and accepted alms such as flour mostly, which when they had a few stones they sold it making good profit.
The children were delighted to see a traveller arriving and would gather into whatever house he or she would be in to listen to the thrilling stories he or she would be relating. But there were a few men whom they dreaded because they would follow them with sticks. They all travelled on foot but they (sic) travelling folk of nowaday go round in caravans. Hardly any lone traveller passed the country now but they go in bands. They are called "tinkers" and "gypsies" and earn their living by making and selling cans, and(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Margaret Joyce
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Lisnageeragh, Co. Galway
