School: St John of God Convent, Rathdowney (roll number 16203)
- Location:
- Rathdowney, Co. Laois
- Teacher: The Sisters
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0828, Page 159
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- XML “A Dancing Master”
- XML “A Local Giant”
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A Dancing Master (continued)
“Every Good Friday my father would be sure to...”
(continued from previous page)adopted the plan of putting a Hay sugan on one foot + a straw on the other + would then say, Hay foot, Straw foot etc.
- A Local giant was William Ringwood who lived in Graigue about the year 1841 and was the largest man known for many miles around. This man was surely seven feet in height and closely four feet in width. His weight was never less than twenty three stone. When it was time for harvesting operations all the farmers did not like William to come and help them as they would need much more food stuffs, because his appetite was as large as three ordinary men. and he was no good for working. When he sat down to dinner, three lbs of bacon and almost a stone of potatoes would hardly satisfy his appetite. All the children were afraid of him and when thy saw him, they would whisper to each other, " Oh, here comes Big Bill" and off with them to a hiding place.
