School: Errigal Trough (roll number 15565)

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1. Travelling Folk

   

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   In this district of Errigal Truagh, travelling folk were very numerous about 50 years ago, each having a special day for calling at each particular house. All of these poor people would take what was known as a charity. Some houses gave them meal, either oaten or Indian meal, and strange to say they had a bag suitable to hold each kind without mixing them. Some gave them potatoes, a few eggs, or a piece of butter perhaps a farl or two of oat-cake. They all recompensed the donor with a prayer, silent or otherwise. But one very old mendicant named Paddy Guiney was an exception to the silent rule. He prayed loudly for God to prosper you in your time of need, in your time of agony, and in your time of distress and protect both yourself and your household. His prayers became an adage for many years.

   Those beggars who had a good day would go to a country shop to dispose of their meal, eggs etc. and receive cash or other necessities in return. Mr McElmeel remembers one old beggar named Owen McCruddens who never wore a boot; he knew him for at least 31 years and never saw a boot on his feet. He saw him at Mass

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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

   John Mc Elmeel

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Corry, Co. Monaghan