School: St Columba's, Cloonagh, Granard (roll number 12813)

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1. Ned McGuinness the Man of Many Wives (continued)

   

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   whether Mary was wise in starting such an important business but he dare not oppose her for he used to say to the neighbours that Mary was very head strong but as gentle as a lamb only dont cross her but if you stood on her corns she was a holy terror.
   So Ned had nothing to do with Marys shop in the beginning, when she returned from town, she had to weigh the tea into half ounces and ounces, the sugar into half pounds and pounds and even the little loaves of bread were cut into halves and even into quarters. Next day Mary set out through the neighbourhood with her creel of goods and sold them from house to house. To her credit it may be told, that she seldom returned at night but with an empty creel because Mary was a good business woman and the customers all knew that Mary had a sharp tongue and could use it, so they always tried to buy from her.
   In this way Mary gathered a number of customers and soon she needed to go twice a week and sometimes oftener to the town for goods to supply them, Ned began to look on the shop as a profitable business and that his fourth spouse was the best woman by far of them all. He used to assist Mary in making up the little parcels and he took such an interest in the working of the shop that she trusted him to go to

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Rehill

   Gender

   Male