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)*

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)*