School: Finiskill (roll number 13075)
- Location:
- Finiskil, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Cathal Ó Floinn
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0219, Page 400
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- (continued from previous page)The local poets were looked upon with admiration by their neighbours as both of them were very good entertainers apart altogether from their poetic gifts.
Harvey was an accomplished fiddler and often he was presented with a problem when two different clients each living miles away from his house might call upon him on the same night to requisition his services at a wedding or other entertainment. Usually he consented to accompany the man whom he considered lived the shorter distance away and in the latter years of his life he had to be carefully escorted on his journeys across the country owing to his failing eyesight.
On many occasions Harvey's house was raided by police in search of poteen but always without success as he was far too wary to distil his spirits near his own dwelling. Once, he determined to play a trick upon a certain police sergeant locally known as "itchy-back" because of his habit of shrugging his shoulders. This sergeant had always been a zealous prosecutor of poteen makers and he hoped one day to number Tom Harvey among his victims. Tom decided however to carry the fight to his enemy, so on a certain Sunday after Mass he muttered some dark hints, in the sergeant's hearing,(continues on next page)
