School: Ceathrú Riabhach (Cahooreigh)
- Location:
- Aghalee More, Co. Kerry
- Teacher: Muiris Ó Donnabháin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0454, Page 226
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- More than sixty years ago [i.e. 1870s or earlier] in this district there were no mowing machines. The hay was cut with scythes and the oats and wheat were cut with reaping hooks. The mowers that time were skilled men and they got four shillings each per day.
Nearly eighty years ago reapers were on the hill side on the land of John Donovan Madam's Hill Killarney reaping wheat at 4/- per day. A big wage then. Darby Sullivan was the best mower around this district. He lived between the bounds of Cahir and Coolgarrive near the big fort. Darby Sullivan used take the contract of a 20 acre field owned by Paddy Shea. He was a great mower and used cut along way with out edge. He used fix his scythe in such away that he used cut along distance without edging [sic]. He was an expert for mowing. He used take contracts to mow large farms or large fields. He used then employ other mowers. One of these was Seán O'Shea who lived in Knockeenduff, Killarney. Darby Sullivan's daughter (Hanna) is married to Seán O'Shea's son (Tom). They live in Killarney. Darby Sullivan is said to have got a charm for mowing while cutting the eleven acre field at Paddy O'Shea's Cleeney, Killarney. He then did not hear or feel his sythe mowing. He told some one about it and he charm left. Told by Dan Shea. Cleeney Killarney about the year 1909.
Maurice O'Donovan Cahooreigh N.S. Killane
- Collector
- Maurice O' Donovan
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Teacher
