School: Cushinstown (roll number 3146)

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1. Travelling Folk (continued)

   

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   and the beef or meat crackling on the pan beside a blazing fire of wood. And then an old contented looking woman seated on a block of wood with a clay pipe in her mouth is smoking satisfactorily. The boss himself is seated on a homemade bench with chisel and hammer in hand working at the trade from which he got his name.
   Go down a piece the road and you will hear the sad cry or the merry laugh of the half clad tinker children as they run after a ball or hoop.
   The older folk tell some thrilling stories of fairies and ghosts and haunted ditches where they stopped and of people in other parts of the country. They all like to speak of the western people.
   One famous popular character travelled this part of the country about 30 years ago. he was best known by "John the Shell." He carried a large bag in which were shells as well as clothing. He also carried two large poles which he called hemispheres. He wore his hair long.
   Now we may think him foolish but he was a remarkably well educated man. He wrote a wonderful poem about a

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   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

   Collector

   Nicholas Connor

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Cushinstown, Co. Meath