Riobard, Are you telling us that we should leave the books on the shelf this Valentine's Day? Regards to you & Joan! Joan & Rick Kelly ----- Original Message ----- From: "Riobard O' Dwyer" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2013 8:24 AM Subject: Re: [BEARA] More on Ardgroom > There were [what would be called now as] big families in the olden days > here ---- families 11,12,13, 14 for example. One son settled down in the > small farm. He had a family of 10. He in turn gave his farm to his son who > had a family of 16. Of yet another family:- 3 of the sons went to Butte, > Montana, and 2 of the daughters went to Oakland, California. In another > family, one of the sons remained at home, 4 of the boys went mining to > Butte, and 3 girls went to New York. The Canon in Castletownbere was one > time speaking about the blessings of a large family. "Take Mrs. O'Brien > for > instance", said the Canon. "I'm telling you, my dear Brethren, that she > didn't spend her time painting her toe-nails !!". > Patie Healy of Faunkil was the only one of a 6-man seine-fishing crew who > survived when their boat hit a submerged rock when coming home on the > night > of Nov. 12th 1918. The others were Sean (a Choill) O'Sullivan of Caolrua > who was steering; John and Patie Murphy of Ballycrovane; Jer McCarthy of > Faunkil; and my uncle Robert O'Dwyer of Caolrua. But Patie Healy lived for > only two months afterwards. When the Priest was comforting Bridgie Healy > later after her son Patie had died, and was saying to Bridgie that she > should remember the sorrow of Our Blessed Lady when Our Lord died on the > Cross, Bridgie quickly replied: "Yerra, bad luck to Her, Father, sure she > [the Blessed Virgin] had only the one !!" An oar found after the drowning > is still up on the loft of Hannah Healy's {Patie's niece] house. > A woman in Lios na gCat, Ardgroom, lived to be 106 years of age. She was > born about 13 years before the Famine. A man in Lios na gCat, Canfie, was > known as "The Bachun", as he spent time working in the Copper Mines in > Bunmahon (Bun mBachun), Co. Waterford. He was later a Ropemaker who made > his ropes from the remains of old fir trees. He was the last ropemaker in > the Ardgroom District. His parents spoke only all Gaelic, and his brother > was a Professor of Irish in Trinity College/University in Dublin. > To finish this script:- The worst complaint I got about my first book > (that > of the Eyeries Parish) was from a woman near Ardgroom. "Riobard", said > she. > "My husband has spent so much time in bed reading your book that he has no > time to make love to me anymore !!!". > ----- Riobard. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 10 February 2013 21:42, Riobard O' Dwyer <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> And then there was Mike the Weaver (Sheehan) who, with his wife Jude, >> lived in a small thatched house in which they had a loom for weaving. The >> site of their little thatched house was later what is now the present >> Post >> Office. I remember as a little lad a Christian Brother from elsewhere >> cycling down the Village and addressing Michael and Jude in Gaelic. To >> his >> surprise, he was nearly dumb-struck by the fluency in Gaelic of the old >> couple, so he speedily made his exit from the Village !! >> As well as that there was a man known as Johnny the Sapper. The Sappers >> marked the road mileages on fence-rocks in the olden days. >> ----- Riobard. >> >> >> On 10 February 2013 20:27, Susan Twomey <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Thanks so much for this! >>> >>> /Susan >>> >>> >>> On Feb 10, 2013, at 12:24 PM, Riobard O' Dwyer wrote: >>> >>> > *More on Ardgroom:- >>> > Jackessy Crowley & Margaret O'Shea. >>> > Jackessy is a form of Jack. They qwned the 1st of 3 Post Offices in >>> > Ardgroom Village over the years. It was next door to, and above, what >>> was >>> > later Mrs. Healy's Shop. Jackessy was an authority on the Irish (or >>> Gaelic) >>> > Language and on Irish Folklore. Jackessy & Margaret had 7 children. >>> > One >>> of >>> > them was a Coastguard; another was a noted boxer who went first to >>> Boston, >>> > and later to New York;Mary was Mrs. Williamson in Boston [I remember a >>> man >>> > called Jackie Williamson in Ardgroom Village when I was a young lad >>> there. >>> > As far as I can remember Mrs. Williamson, Mary, was 92 and still alive >>> > circa 1970]. Seemingly, her brother Peter was the 1st Postman in the >>> > Village, and he later went mining to Utah. >>> > {Talking about Postmen. I remember, again when I was about 11 years of >>> age, >>> > seeing the Postman, known as Jim the Post (Harrington) from Eyeries >>> > Village, coming around the bridge at the top of Ardgroom Village on a >>> > bicycle, carrying his bag of mails on the bicycle. That was the method >>> of >>> > carrying the mail here in those days. And it was on a day that was >>> raining >>> > that Jim sang the loudest on his mail-bicycle. How things have changed >>> over >>> > the years !! But it would be a pity to let forgotten what life was >>> > like >>> > here in days long past. >>> > "How do you spell Rossmacowen ?" asked an old man in days gone by. >>> > "Why >>> do >>> > you need >>> > asking me", said his neighbour ---- "Just write it down !!" >>> > ----- Riobard. >>> > * >>> > >>> > ------------------------------- >>> > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >>> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >>> >>> Susan Twomey >>> 319 Howard Heights Rd >>> Eureka, CA 95503 >>> tel 707-444-2522 >>> >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >>> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> *Riobard (O'Dwyer)* >> >> >> > > > -- > *Riobard (O'Dwyer)* > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message >