School: An Bóthar Buí (B.), Áth Treasna (roll number 16396)
- Location:
- Boherboy, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Seán Ó Gealbháin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0355, Page 167
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- (continued from previous page)to the road. He was a great wit and was welcome in most houses. His nose was deformed. It was partly turned sideways and flat. A wag asked him one day what happened it and the answer was: "the night of the big wind the storm turned it". He died about 40 years ago.
Another man who never wore boots was called Free Mary. He had feet of a huge size and were so hard that he could walk on glass with impunity. He spent most of his life in the neighbourhood of gneeveguilla and knocknagree. He went about among the people making himself generally useful. He helped the farmers in their work and got lodging from them in return. He was indispensable at wakes and weddings. He bribed the waiter and watched while the cooking was going on that it wasn't overdone. He attended to the fires etc.
He was called Free Mary O' Connor after his mother. Nobody knew who his father was as far as I can make out. He died about 20 years ago.
There is a third individual whom I knew of whom it could also be said that he never wore boots. His name was Jer the Rigger. His real name was Donovan. He and his sister Fan the Rigger lived in a little cabin in the village of Boherbue. They both spent their time begging. Jer always went barefoot, winter and summer. I frequently saw him(continues on next page)
- Collector
- John Galvin
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Teacher
- Address
- Islandbrack, Co. Cork
