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School: Inis Céin

Location:
Enniskean, Co. Cork
Teacher:
Conchobhar Ó Haodha
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0306, Page 210

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0306, Page 210

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  3. XML “Travelling Folk”

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  1. Travelling Folk

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    Most of us have heard or read about the nomadic tribes in Northern Russia, we here have a tribe something similar to them, they are known as tinkers. They are tinsmiths by trade and they also deal in donkeys and ponies, they live in caravans which are drawn by the donkeys and ponies. They visit the houses and ask for money or bread or clothes or any other articles that would prove useful to them, they are good to "flámás" and then if they will not get enough they use some very nasty language. As they travel through the country the farmers are persecuted from them because they go into the haggards looking for hay and straw and oats for their animals, they also like to get pieces of harness and parts of cars. A very popular tribe of the intinerant class in this district is the Driscolls, some of these are sweeps, others are tanglers and there are numerous bands of them there, they are distinguished by; Black Paddy, Foxy Paddy, Foxy Davie and Dan the sweep and other titles with something different in each. For about a period of ten years one of the most popular of the itinerant class lived with his mother (Foxy Kate) his wife (Sheridian) and his family in a house near Enniskean where once dwelt the poet John Crowley (Paygo). During that time visits of the nomads were frequent and quarrels used often arise.
    A few years ago that popular man named Patrick Driscoll commonly called Foxy Paddy met his death in a most tragic manner in Bandon, he was brutally stabbed by his own brother-in-law, John Sherdian who is now within the walls of a gloomy prison: Paddy was by far the most honest decent fellow of his class.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    History Edit
    Topics
    1. genre
      1. poetry
        1. folk poetry (~9,504)
    2. agents (~1)
      1. people by social grouping
        1. travellers (~3,023)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Séamus Ó Lordáin
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Enniskean, Co. Cork