School: Kilbeggan (B.)

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1. Local Fairs (continued)

   

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   There was a local small farmer jogging along in an ass and cart to the fair of Tullamore one early morning close on forty years ago or more. He passed a dust covered stranger walking in the same direction and obliginly asked him to sit up. The stranger only too glad of the lift did so. Nearing the town he became very chatty and told the farmer he was coming all night from Mullingar a distance of twelve miles. "I couldn't get a jarvey to drive me to here" said he. After a while the farmer found out whom he was and nearly died suddenly with fright. It was no less a person, than Calcraft the hangman, on his way to execute a criminal under sentence of death in the old jail. "Glory be to God" said he. I'll be ruined if the Kilbeggan people hear Im after carring the hangman. You ould blackguard why didn't you tell me in time and divil a bit you'd ever sit behind my decent ass. "My good man" answered the hangman. "You never asked me whom I was but there's something for you" and he gave him a pound note. Did he refused it? Oh no, "Begob your a decent fellow, hangman and all as you are. It is told, another ten shillings of his own, went with the pound to buy a "Kerry cow"

   Formely the fair was held in the green, but ten years ago this place was taken over and a

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trade
            1. buying and selling (~3,622)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Alice Caffrey

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath