School: Baile an Oileáin (B.) (roll number 2808)
- Location:
- Ballinillane, Co. Kerry
- Teacher: Eoghan Ua Muircheartaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0460, Page 578
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- XML School: Baile an Oileáin (B.)
- XML Page 578
- XML “Travelling Folk”
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- (continued from previous page)sell in the local towns - Killarney and Castleisland. They make the tin vessels themselves.
These travellers are not generally welcome because they are too importunate. They travel in families. Each family has a number of old horses and carts which are fitted with springs like those of a sidecar. Each has also a number of horse-drawn vans in which they live. They often remain in a district for a fortnight on the roadside. If there is not sufficient room in the vans for the entire family, some members sleep on the ground under the van. These cover themselves with old quilts. These travelling folk provide a large part of their own food supply. they can afford to buy this because they buy and sell old horses and donkeys as well as feathers. When looking for alms they accept flour, or potatoes, or tea, or sugar, or milk or money.
The best known of these travelling folk are the O'Briens. the Coffeys, and the Sheridans. The O'Briens most frequently visit my district (Ballyhar parish, Co. Kerry).(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Michael Downey
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Caherdean, Co. Kerry
- Informant
- John Moriarty
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 74
- Address
- Leamnaguila, Co. Kerry
