School: San Leonard, Ballycullane
- Location:
- Saintleonards, Co. Wexford
- Teacher: Mary B. Dunphy
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0871, Page 100
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- 1. Butchers
In olden times the butchers were very poor. They did not ship cattle as they do now. And, eing numerous, the home market did not give a very great living as the consumption of beef and mutton amongst the masses was very small.
The local butchers used to attend the surrounding fairs carrying their pots on their backs. Arrived at Nash or Ragory their first business was to purchase a beast - a sheep, more often, a goat. This was butchered and got ready to cook. Firewood was gathered and a hole made in the ground for fire and pot. Cooking completed, the soup was sold at 1/2d and 1d according to quantity required. The meat was sold in chunks too. In this way a good substantial meal was provided for fair-goers, and some money was made by the butchers. Some of the latter more enterprising than the rest brought an equipment - knives, forks, spoons, etc. and gave their patrons a fairly comfortable out-door meal. One butcher's wife boasted to the writer's mother that her patrons at the fair were mostly the "better class" - as she put it herself, "Because 'me lanna' I bring little 'fittins' with me."A very funny story used to be told in my childhood days in connection with the custom. A patron on the fair had some doubts as to whether he was eating the flesh of the(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Mary B. Dunphy
- Gender
- Female
- Occupation
- Teacher
