School: Cúl an Dasain (Cooladawson) (roll number 1620)
- Location:
- Cooladawson, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Pádraig Mag Uidhir
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1100, Page 31
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- Many trades and industries which flourished sixty or seventy years ago are now scarcely known.
In the fairs the hatter had his stand or stall on the street and sold his felt hats which he had blocked and completed at home, his wife or some female relations having sewn in the lining which was of silk, and attached the leather sweat band and the black silk ribbon, but many of their hats were unlined and of course the price was less than for those better finished. These hats it appears were very durable and lasted years, in fact they might have assumed any shape before they were quite worn out.
Nailworkers at that time carried on a very thriving and fairly lucrative calling in most towns and villages and their journeymen might have been seen wending their ways from one employer to another.
For some reason St ColumbCille pronounced a curse against these jolly workers, it is alleged and prophesied that they would always be merry and ragged. It is believed that a band of them on one occasion tried to have some fun at his expense and so they came in for his displeasure and his curse.
They were regarded as very skilful craftsmen, their terms of apprenticeship being seven years, so it was not a trade that a handy man only could intrude himself into and if he had, he would I am thinking have had short shrift.(continues on next page)
