School: Cloonsarn (roll number 16025)
- Location:
- Lisgillock Glebe, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Peter Kilkenny
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0221, Page 699
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- XML Page 699
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- (continued from previous page)of "Johnny From Smear" or sometimes called "Smear" The little children on seeing him approach the house would announce his coming to their mother with the words "Here comes Smear".He carried a long coarse bag on his back, and a smaller one like a school satchel inside his coat. In the big bag he put the old rags he got from house to house; and in the smaller one he had a supply of pins and needles with which he rewarded the housewife for the rags she gave him. He travelled from house to house day after day. He usually collected the full of two large coarse bags every day. In about a fortnight he took his donkey and cart and collected these bags of Rags, took them to some neighbouring town and sold them to some "Rag and Feather Merchant". who sent them away to a Paper Mill. Johnny always carried a great oak stick, fairly strong and very heavy. This he could use on a fierce dog with both skill and ability. He seemed to have got somewhere and some time a special training in the use of the stick on a dog's body."Johnny from Smear" would take a seat in most houses on his rounds for a few minutes rest himself, tell all the latest news.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Peter Kilkenny
- Gender
- Male
