School: Na Corráin (roll number 9938/9)

Location:
Currans, Co. Kerry
Teacher:
Cormac Ó Muircheartaigh
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0446, Page 193

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0446, Page 193

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  2. XML Page 193
  3. XML “Travelling Folk”

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  1. Many travelling folk visit the houses of the country, some selling small articles, such as shirt, studs, thimbles, hairpins etc. But the poor class go around looking for alms: These folk are called either gipsies or tinkers.
    Some of these have four-wheeled vans while others have to sleep under cars, with only blankets and things thrown down on them, even on a bad Winter's night. Some of the men are tin-smiths, and go around the country, selling gallons, cans and other tin-ware to make out a living for themselves and their families.
    Mostly every tinker tribe has on an average about five donkeys and three or four genets or mules and by swapping of these and getting 'boot' - they make a living.
    On a fair day tinkers are very busy, buying and selling their animals; - they also go around singing ballads on a fair day, and while one is singing the other is going around gathering money through the fair. But some of them drink the money and they begin to fight all round them, and in the finish they are carried to the barracks. One member of the tinker fraternity who is missed in this side of the country is Jack the Boules.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. agents (~1)
      1. people by social grouping
        1. travellers (~3,023)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Tim Brosnan
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Reineen, Co. Kerry
    Informant
    Mr John Brosnan
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Reineen, Co. Kerry