School: Dromlogach Mainistir na Féile (roll number 10908)

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1. Sean Burns

   “I remember Seán Burns very well.”

   

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   I remember Seán Burns very well. When I was young Seán used to call here very often for eel oil for his ears, he being very deaf. This place was very wet and marshy we used be opening drains and scouring dykes and in those we used to get the eels. We had two very clever terriers here then and when they would see the eels waddling in the dyke they would dive in and pull them out. We used to catch them in other ways too and then stuff them into a bottle for about a month or six weeks until they would melt away. We put a pinch of salt into it especially for Seán. He would dip a piece of cotton wool into it and cork his ears with it. This would improve him in the hearing for some time. Seán was a terrible strong man. He had two other brothers Tom + Mick and three sisters. Tom died very young - I think he was about 22 years. He died in a field in the townland of Behins coming home from the river Smerla he being water bailif there. I heard Seán to say if Tom Byrnes lived there would be no talk of Seán Burns. Tom was some years younger than Seán and was then as strong as him. Once they had a trial of each other by turning a car with a load of lime stone in it across the road at the Ballinvoher cross and put the shaft of the car

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. historical persons (~5,068)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Seán O Cíarba

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   Over 70

   Address

   Knocknacrohy, Co. Kerry