School: Galmoy

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1. Travelling Folk

   

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   A good many travelling people call at my home. Some of them are very poor and depend on on the charity of the people. Others are not poor and they sell small articles at a gain. They sell very useful things such as reels of thread, candle sticks which the men make, cups and saucers, mugs and plates, pictures and picture frames, brooches and necklaces, egg cups and large gallons which the men make.

   The women usually sell the articles which they carry in large baskets. They also sell flowers which the women make from paper. They are very welcome when they have useful things to sell and are not too dear. They buy their supplies at the Monster House, Kilkenny or at Woolworths.

   Nowadays nearly all the travellers have caravans. The poor have cars and in the night they sleep in small tents. These tents are merely sticks stuck down securely in the ground with canvas overhead. They are usually given a penny when they come to the door. They then ask for bread or tea or sugar. It is given to them. When they get two or three things they leave, but there are others who are not satisfied and they have to be sent away.

   Two or three families usually travel together. They camp and then go round in twos and threes looking for charity or selling articles. They usually come before a races

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. people by social grouping
         1. travellers (~3,023)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Kitty Gannon

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Rathreagh, Co. Kilkenny