School: Naomh Eoin, Cill Choinnigh (roll number 1301)

Location:
Cill Chainnigh, Co. Chill Chainnigh
Teacher:
Bráthair Tomás Mac Binéid
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0856, Page 141

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0856, Page 141

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  1. XML School: Naomh Eoin, Cill Choinnigh
  2. XML Page 141
  3. XML “Charley the Sweep”

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  1. Stephen Dwyer of Greenridge Kilkenny aged 40 years from his father Martin Dwyer aged 70 years about 20 years ago.
    * * *
    There was a notable character in Kilkenny in the olden times known as "Charley the Sweep" who lived in St Riochs Street. He was a very intelligent and well-to-do man. He did the business of the city and was looked up to by the citizens as the man of the moment. He was indeed the King of Kilkenny, and kept at least a dozen little negro wichins. The so seldom washed their faces that they looked like twelve little negroes and it would require all the monkey brand in Kilkenny to make them members of the white race.
    These twelve little black wichins, armed each with a chimney scraper and a soot brush, generally accompanied him as a body of retainers. Charley's business was not confined to chimney sweeping. He had an avocation that was termed at the time "Calling the Waits", a custom something after the fashion of the "Mummer Boys". It appears that on every night for a fortnight before Christmas, Charlie accompanied by a blind piper and a retinue of young negroes, each provided with a lantern, started from his own house each night at twelve o'clock and proceeded to the house of the nearest client, when the performanc commenced
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Language
    English
    Informant
    Stephen Dwyer
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    40
    Address
    An tIomaire Glas, Co. Chill Chainnigh