School: Poll Réamoinn (Cailíní)
- Location:
- Pollremon, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Treasa, Bean Mhic Diarmada
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0014, Page 279
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- XML “Travelling Folk”
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- There are not as many travelling folk nowadays as there long ago. Long ago they called to the houses almost everyday. These folks were called many names such as "tinkers" "gipsies" (sic) "beggars" and "chimney sweeper". The "beggars" were always the poorest and begged from house to house. There is scarcely any of these beggars nowadays. At night they lodged at certain houses. They begged for tea sugar, meal, flour, milk, meat, and old clothes. The people were always very generous with them and gave them charity of all kinds.
Mrs McDermott was a beggar woman who loved in Cloomahara in a little house of her own. Her father and mother were rich people but they died when she was a child. She was then put into a convent where she afterwards refused to stay. She came out from the convent and married a soldier whose name was Ted McDermott. When he died she became very poor and she had to go begging. She always had the news of the country and the people liked her. During Easter week she used to go round the country and beg for eggs. She would then sell the most of them and get money for them. Her son is now married and he has a house and a piece of land.
Two other beggars were Mike(continues on next page)
