School: Bán-Tír (B.) (roll number 2803)

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1. Travelling Folk

   

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   1 Jack Mc Carthy, an old chimney sweep, who claimed to be a native of Bandon, Co Cork, used to visit the Banteer district many years ago. He was a well-known character, and on account of his honesty, and good humour, was welcome everywhere. He was a great story-teller, and Irish singer. He always slept in a big sack, on a heap of straw, on the kitchen floor, of any farmer's house, where he might be kept for the night.
   2. The Driscolls and the Coffeys of the travelling tinker class, were also visitors to this locality. Their families for several generations past, have been in the habit of visiting this part of the country. They make and repair tin vessels of every kind, and buy, an ex change donkeys all over the country.
   3. Con, and Michael Hegarty were famous for making boards, and plates for ploughs, from old metal. They used to buy broken kettles and pots, and melt them down to make plough parts. They made special moulds, and poured the molten metal into them. They used to work in old, dis-used lime-kilns. Whenever they came around, they got plenty of work from the farmers, as the "boards" and "plates" they used to make, gave much better wear, than those bought in the shops. They never bothered the neighbours for food. They always bought their own supplies, and cooked for themselves in the old lime-kilns.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. people by social grouping
         1. travellers (~3,023)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   John Cronin

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   75

   Address

   Lackaneen, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Paddy O' Callaghan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Lackaneen, Co. Cork