School: Cromadh (B.)

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1. Sides of Social Life 60 to 70 Years Ago (continued)

   

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   Manister. Thade Henderman had a public house there that time. Look, there wasn't much harm in the rows, the men had to fight, 'twas in em somehow and there was no bitterness in it. All the same, some of it wasn't good. I was a gorsoon, maybe not much more than 10 years of age and I went over to Mortgage to see a hurling match between the Tory Hills and the Skhules. There was great rivalry between them as far as the hurling went, and to make matters worse the Tory Hills were '3 years olds' and the Skhules were "4 year olds". The ball was thrown up in a field behind Hartigan's-the ball wasn't like the one they have now, it was 10 or twelve inches across (in diameter) and a man wouldn't hit it much more that the length of himself. Another thing, they hadn't hurleys like now, any old stick they could get, a handle of a griffaun, or of a spade or a green limb from the hedge, whatever came to their hand was uses as a hurley. At any rate, they were at it, hammer and tongs and one of the Skhule fellows (I think, Hayes was named by him) rushed into the middle of the three or four men that were in a scramble for the ball and drew down among them. He struck his own first-cousin and the man never stirred again. He was a ruffian; that's surely seventy years ago. (Pat. Allen)
   "I was the youngest of eight. Of a night when the neighbours would come in, I'd be left for a while in
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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Languages

   Irish

   English

   Collector

   Daithí Ó Ceanntabhail

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Múinteoir

   Informant

   Pat Allen

   Gender

   Male