School: Knockcommon (roll number 16549)
- Location:
- Knockcommon, Co. Meath
- Teacher: Sighle Nic Aibhsc
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0684, Page 057
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- XML School: Knockcommon
- XML Page 057
- XML “Travelling Folk”
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- The travelling folk who inhabit the district are chiefly tinkers and these frequently call to our house.
The same people have been coming for a long time, and these by their appearance seem to be poor enough. Once an old woman used to go around begging and she always carried a bucket with her. She always kept great care of the bucket and on one occasion when the guards came across her they found she had £350 in the bucket, and that was the chief reason why she was so careful about it.
Some of the tinkers sell small articles but these are very few. Of those who do sell them the local people usually buy, for charity's sake mostly. The articles they sell are laces, pins, and other small articles. They obtain their supplies in the nearest town to which they have their encampment.
The travellers who come seldom seeking alms are generally welcome, but those who come too often are not welcome, for if you give them an inch they want a yard. The best known of these tinkers are, The Wirelss, Mary blue Ribbon, Paddy Ardee, The woman from the North and Powers.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Rita Gallagher
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Knockcommon, Co. Meath
