School: Dún Gar (Frenchpark) (roll number 3961)

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1. The Fairs and Markets (continued)

   

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   were the coopers with churns, firkins, and tubs; the basket makers with cleeves, clothes baskets, turf and potato baskets, aye even bird cradles; lines of spinning wheels both flax and woollen, the tinker plied his trade in the open; the potter with his load of crockery was here too; the bakers sold their surplus barm; and Pat Rondy's mother would make you a ha'porth of Peggy's Leg, a stick of sugar stick, or a pennorth of bull's eyes while you waited.
   Here were the itinerant singers and musicians keeping a close eye on
   the helmeted guardians of the public peace, as they surreptitiously
   (maryah) yelled out the strains of Granuaile and Michael Dyer, or fingered out the magic music of the Coolin, Roisín Dubh and Seán Ó Duibhir from fiddles, flutes, and pipes. The public houses did a roaring trade. Up to fifty years ago there was only one donkey cart for Cleggernagh and Raheela, Michael McLoughlin had it. He started out with five bags of oats for the neighbours at four in the morning and was able to do three
   journeys between that and 12 o'clock. As he had sixpence a bag, he gradually became the best off man in that locality. Cormac Scally and Jamesy Toolin did the carring for Mullen on the same lines. People who could not see
   their way to pay such exorbitant transport charges had to be their own beasts of burden, and what burdens they could carry. I myself saw Pat Greery carry two 2 cwt sacks of flour one on each shoulder up Beirne's steps to the store on the second storey. Old Michael Greevey told me he often
   brought home a

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

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