School: Doire Clathach (roll number 11931)

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1. Fair and Patterns in Honour of our Local Saint - Drumoleague Big Fair (continued)

   

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   a Roaring Trade every Big Fair Day. The general feed that day was a Pint of Porter in one hand and a "Pig's Crubeen" in the other and while you'd be able to keep calling fot them you wouldnt be hungry or thirty. But McCarthy hadnt all the trade to himself though. There used Publicans come there from Dunmanway, Leap, Caheragh and Drinagh and theyd have Tents here and there through the Fair. They'd all come the night before and camp on the Rock, and as for Tinkers, three Card Trick Men, and Trick of the Loop Men, not to mind what women, children and Donkeys theyd have you never saw the likes of it. When theyd all get drunk tis then the ceol would start. My father told me once (said Mr. ODriscoll) that one week before the Big Fair there were 72 Tierces of Porter brought from the Brewery in Clonakilty to Drimoleague and the day after the fair you couldnt wet your whistle with a drop of the "Wrestler". The Wrestler was the name given to the Porter brewed that time in Clonakilty.
   After the year 1880 the Fair was not held on the Rock. For a few years it was held where the Schools are built now, and after

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trade
            1. buying and selling (~3,622)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Jeremiah W. O' Driscoll

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   71

   Address

   Drimoleague, Co. Cork