School: Castlecoote (roll number 6344)
- Location:
- Castlecoote, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Máire, Bean Uí Ghabhláin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0263, Page 283
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- XML “The Care of the Feet”
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- The Care of the Feet.
It is told of a very old man - dead some years - who went to America to seek his fortune, that the first pair of boots he wore, were those he bought along with the "Passage" to America. He was then nineteen years of age (70 years ago)
Clogs were very common in olden times especially during the winter months.
Old people paid special attention to their foot-wear. They oiled and greased the leather quite regularly and always repaired them when necessary.
Children up to the age of twelve and fourteen go barefoot in summer. In this school area they take their boots off in the month of May and put them on, generally in late October. They have cheap shoes or sandals to wear on Sundays.
The local shoe-makers are very few. People are quite clever at minding their own boots. Every house has its 'last' expecially where there are children. Even young school boys are able to put on a "bit", put in protectors, and do general repairs. Some heads of families can make boots for their children.
Years ago there was a tannery in the town of Roscommon which supplied the needs of the people in the surrounding districts.(continues on next page)
