School: Machaire, An Tulach

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1. Beggars

   

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   Beggars.
   Beggars come to nearly every house some time but the same ones do not come always because they travel about through the country.Some of those who come around are Burkes,Caseys, Carthys, Dorans,and Sweeneys.Sometimes they sell
   small articles such as hairpins,safety-pins, laces ,tin-cans
   mats and small little tables.They always want very big prices for these things,and they try to make the people buy them .When they cannot sell them they offer them for some alms .Most people do not buy anything from the travellers.
   In nearly every house the people do not like to see them coming because the more alms they give them the more they want.They are not allowed to go inside the door generally but if they saw but if they saw that there was only an old person in the house they would come in spite of them.
   They make tents with canvas and sticks in which they sleep and it is always in a shady place they put the tents.There are some of them that have caravans and in the winter they sleep in them,but in summer they camp like the others.Those have not anything to sell beg for alms.They go around from house to house,for milk,eggs, potatoes,vegetables,tea, sugar, butter and flour.If the women get flour they bake their bread in frying-pans over the fire.They cook their own meals and they beg for clothes and shoes.The men earn some money by cleaning chimneys.When they get

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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

   Informant

   Peter Dinan

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   50

   Occupation

   Carpenter

   Address

   Maghera, Co. Clare