School: Coill an Easbuig (Bishopswood), Dundroma
- Location:
- Bishopswood, Co. Tipperary
- Teacher: Mícheál Mac Cárthaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0582, Page 251
Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
See copyright details.
DownloadOpen data
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.
On this page
- The Bad Times
During the Bad Times Billy Gabha (ODwyer) of Ballinaclough Golden kept three or four men working on him.
Billy Morrissey was paid 7d per week (with food) for sledging. Every week end he brought a half pint of whiskey for 5d + drank it. The best smith working for him was Billy Heffernane.
One day the workmen sat at dinner, each man had a square of barley mead. Billy Gabha (the Boss) sat watching the man. When Heffernane had his quarter eaten he reached across the table to where other quarters were against the wall. Taking one he broke a piece off + was about to eat it when the boss said
Haven't you enough, Bill".
"No"! said Heffernane.
"Alright" said he "Take the Road"
"Give me my money" demanded Heffernane
He paid him his four shillings.
"Good Day" said he and the best smith he ever employed handled his hammer + rasp + walked out. Jimmy Cleary of Lughnagrosse worked with the same man for /4 per week without food. Billy Morrissey went inside him + worked for 7d with food.
- Informant
- Denis Mc Carthy
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 71
- Address
- Kilmore, Co. Tipperary
