School: Inis Céin

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1. A Local Poet (continued)

   

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   It was a man name Richards who used to give out the yellow meal in Enniskean and he used to be dressed like a minister when serving it and for this reason they called him "Old Duds". As John was getting sixpence per week pension for his service in the British army, old Duds refused to give him yellow meal for he said that anyone would not be entitled to the benefit while receiving a pension of any kind; once more Johnnie used his poetic phrases –
   “When it comes to the day of condemnation and when all of us
   are dead
   It is then we’ll see Old Duds going round and cans and saucepans
   around his head
   In those days it was a custom for the well-to-do landlords to give food and sometimes a suite of clothes to poor men such as Johnnie. At one time a rich man named Joe Shorten took the poet into his house and gave him his breakfast; when the poet had breakfasted, he asked his host for a spared suit of clothes as the one he had was in a bad condition and very unsuitable for Sunday wear. Joe went to his dressing room and returned to the poet and gave him a trousers and vest, he then told him to return in the evening for his supper. Johnnie returned in the evening as he was told, dressed in the clothes he had received in the morning, he was met by Shorten who asked him how did he like the clothes, the poet stopped and looked at them and he said:
   “Well now Master Joe they are very acceptable.
   But if I had the whole suit I would look more respectable.”
   Joe went away immediately and brought him the coat, he gave

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. genre
      1. poetry
         1. folk poetry (~9,504)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Séamus Ó Lordáin

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Enniskean, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Dick Long

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   73

   Occupation

   Labourer

   Address

   Enniskean, Co. Cork