School: Wilkinstown (roll number 1917)

On this page

1. Travelling Folk

   

   Share Share Post

   Travelling folk or tinkers very often call to our home and we are well acquainted with some of them, because they come often and have been coming so long. A good while may sometimes elapse between their visits but then again they appear and camp in the same places as they used before.
   Some of them are really very poor and thankfully accept alms such as food and old clothes. This kind of travellers usually travel in carts drawn by asses, in separate families. When night falls they pitch their canvas tents which seem, to us, at any rate, too small and stuffy for even one person to sleep in. The whole family sleep in this in "beds" of straw strewn on the ground. This class seldom stay more than one night in a place.
   Those who are "better off" usually have fine caravans - kind of wooden houses built on axle and wheels like a cart and having two shafts. They are generally gaily painted and look very artistic and pretty. They are often drawn by the "piebald"ponies which are not very common but are nice and smart looking.
   Many of the travellers are horse-dealers and often pass a night in this district when on their way to the horse fairs of Kells or to the well known

   (continues on next page)

   

   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

   Dolours Sheridan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Wilkinstown, Co. Meath