SNIPPET: In her memoir of growing up in Attymass, Co. Mayo in the 1930s-40s, Mrs. Marrie (FERGUSON) WALSH recalls her neighbors, siblings Larry and Kitty D'ARCY: "The D'ARCY's house was once the most commodious thatched dwelling in the locality. In my mother's younger days, she and others from our village would be invited to the thriving and comfortable home with its flower garden and orchard and roses trailing around the doors and windows. The teachers from the local school used to lodge there and would join in the evening's entertainment. The family was blessed with the gift of music and played several instruments between them. Local folklore told of an ancestor of the D'ARCY family who had helped a stranger who was in trouble. As a reward, the stranger told him that he could have three wishes for himself and his descendants. The ancestor wished to be musical, to be fair of face and to have a sense of humour. Because he had not asked for wealth, all three wishes were granted and his descendants were ever blessed with these attributes. On the death of a member of the family, music would be heard in the darkness of night playing around the house. This music was so hauntingly sad that it would reach the innermost parts of the heart. People said that it was fairy music, and that it must have been a fairy who granted those wishes. Kitty and Larry D'ARCY (siblings) were champion fiddle players and in later life, when most of Kitty's memories lay dormant in her brain, her musical instincts would sometimes awaken and she and Larry would sit outside their door and give their concerts. This was usually in summer, and as the haunting melodies stole across the hills and bogs and fields, people would come out of their houses to listen entranced to this fairy music. Intermingling with the waters of the lakes, the hills and valleys acting as a natural amplifier, this magical sounds would reach our ears and add balm to our souls. It was truly God's concert and one of the most treasured memories I have. Whenever I hear a fiddle being played I remember these two people long gone from this earth, and that haunting music comes streaming back across the years, reminding me of those happy childhood days when we were allowed to wander at will among the villages. Kitty and Larry had relatives in the area but they seldom visited, and some of the immediate family had gone to seek their fortunes elsewhere. There was one sister, Liza, who was working in a big house somewhere in another county. She never married and would return every year for a holiday. Liza was rather grand in speech and dress. She was the topic of conversation while she was in the village and long after she had gone. We would have great fun trying to talk posh like her ... She would also go for walks accompanied by her pets on leashes - her little dog, 'Master Prim.' and a young pig, who she generally addressed as 'Molly my Sweet.' ... The place that Kitty and Larry D'ARCY called home was situated on the flat, high plateau above Slippy's hill. It commanded a view unparalleled for its beauty anywhere. Standing at their front door, the eyes of the beholder were dazzled with the scenery set out as if by an artist's hand. Nature had indeed endowed this part of the countryside with a generous share of its bounty: lakes to the right and left, rivers and hills and mountains and dells, interspersed with sprinklings of whitewashed, thatched cottages. Only the turf smoke gently issuing from the chimneys, reminded the onlooker that this was not the enchanted land he or she might be imagining. Time stood still in this once-happy home, especially for Kitty, as she had the unfortunate experience of being left at the altar by her husband-to-be. The man in question had disappeared the night before the wedding and emigrated to England. He was never seen again. This sad episode left Kitty with her mind gone astray. She was so traumatized by the event that she refused to leave her home and was almost completely house-bound. Local people said that she was once the prettiest girl in the neighbourhood, and indeed her now-faded looks were a testimony to that fact. She rarely left her own hearth and never encouraged anyone to visit. She would wash her hands incessantly, especially when baking bread ... she conversed with invisible people ... Larry went about his work seemingly never noticing any oddity about his sister. He was now getting on in years so was not capable of doing hard farm work. He let his land in con-acre (an eleven-month lease), and our family usually renewed the lease year after year. The D'Arcy's depended on this income, and we supplied them with some produce from their land. Larry also sold eating apples from his well-stocked orchard, and woe betide anyone caught stealing his precious fruit." -- Excerpts, "An Irish Country Childhood, A Bygone Age Remembered," Marrie WALSH (Blake/London 2004).

Thank you ,,do we get the next chapter please sylvia Jean R. wrote: > SNIPPET: In her memoir of growing up in Attymass, Co. Mayo in the > 1930s-40s, Mrs. Marrie (FERGUSON) WALSH recalls her neighbors, siblings > Larry and Kitty D'ARCY: "The D'ARCY's house was once the most commodious > thatched dwelling in the locality. In my mother's younger days, she and > others from our village would be invited to the thriving and comfortable > home with its flower garden and orchard and roses trailing around the doors > and windows. The teachers from the local school used to lodge there and > would join in the evening's entertainment. The family was blessed with the > gift of music and played several instruments between them. Local folklore > told of an ancestor of the D'ARCY family who had helped a stranger who was > in trouble. As a reward, the stranger told him that he could have three > wishes for himself and his descendants. The ancestor wished to be musical, > to be fair of face and to have a sense of humour. Because he had not asked > for wealth, all three wishes were granted and his descendants were ever > blessed with these attributes. On the death of a member of the family, > music would be heard in the darkness of night playing around the house. > This music was so hauntingly sad that it would reach the innermost parts of > the heart. People said that it was fairy music, and that it must have been > a fairy who granted those wishes. Kitty and Larry D'ARCY (siblings) were > champion fiddle players and in later life, when most of Kitty's memories lay > dormant in her brain, her musical instincts would sometimes awaken and she > and Larry would sit outside their door and give their concerts. This was > usually in summer, and as the haunting melodies stole across the hills and > bogs and fields, people would come out of their houses to listen entranced > to this fairy music. Intermingling with the waters of the lakes, the hills > and valleys acting as a natural amplifier, this magical sounds would reach > our ears and add balm to our souls. It was truly God's concert and one of > the most treasured memories I have. Whenever I hear a fiddle being played I > remember these two people long gone from this earth, and that haunting music > comes streaming back across the years, reminding me of those happy childhood > days when we were allowed to wander at will among the villages. Kitty and > Larry had relatives in the area but they seldom visited, and some of the > immediate family had gone to seek their fortunes elsewhere. There was one > sister, Liza, who was working in a big house somewhere in another county. > She never married and would return every year for a holiday. Liza was > rather grand in speech and dress. She was the topic of conversation while > she was in the village and long after she had gone. We would have great fun > trying to talk posh like her ... She would also go for walks accompanied by > her pets on leashes - her little dog, 'Master Prim.' and a young pig, who > she generally addressed as 'Molly my Sweet.' ... > > The place that Kitty and Larry D'ARCY called home was situated on the flat, > high plateau above Slippy's hill. It commanded a view unparalleled for its > beauty anywhere. Standing at their front door, the eyes of the beholder > were dazzled with the scenery set out as if by an artist's hand. Nature had > indeed endowed this part of the countryside with a generous share of its > bounty: lakes to the right and left, rivers and hills and mountains and > dells, interspersed with sprinklings of whitewashed, thatched cottages. > Only the turf smoke gently issuing from the chimneys, reminded the onlooker > that this was not the enchanted land he or she might be imagining. Time > stood still in this once-happy home, especially for Kitty, as she had the > unfortunate experience of being left at the altar by her husband-to-be. The > man in question had disappeared the night before the wedding and emigrated > to England. He was never seen again. This sad episode left Kitty with her > mind gone astray. She was so traumatized by the event that she refused to > leave her home and was almost completely house-bound. Local people said > that she was once the prettiest girl in the neighbourhood, and indeed her > now-faded looks were a testimony to that fact. She rarely left her own > hearth and never encouraged anyone to visit. She would wash her hands > incessantly, especially when baking bread ... she conversed with invisible > people ... Larry went about his work seemingly never noticing any oddity > about his sister. He was now getting on in years so was not capable of > doing hard farm work. He let his land in con-acre (an eleven-month lease), > and our family usually renewed the lease year after year. The D'Arcy's > depended on this income, and we supplied them with some produce from their > land. Larry also sold eating apples from his well-stocked orchard, and woe > betide anyone caught stealing his precious fruit." -- Excerpts, "An Irish > Country Childhood, A Bygone Age Remembered," Marrie WALSH (Blake/London > 2004). > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to IRELAND-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Hi Jean, A trully lovely Irish Story which I thoroughly enjoyed....and believe!! The part about the "haunting music" brought back my own memories of a strange and haunting story my Irish /Welsh parents told me. After they were married in Tralee, Mum and Dad went to visit a relative who had taken ill. When they visited her, she was surprisingly in good spirits and the local priest was there giving her Holy Communion. They were so happy to see her looking well and when they were leaving, they told her they would return the following week but she just gave them a beautiful smile and said that she would see them soon. Thinking that she meant she would see them the following week, they left the house and walked back home. It was getting dark and as they strolled along the lane, they heard this beautiful music. They wondered what band was playing along this deserted lane. The music came towards them but they could not see anythng. Getting frightened, they crouched by the side of the lane to let this "apparition" go by..the most glorious music and voices singing amidst the cold breeze that had just sprung up as it passed them by. When they were sure it had gone, they hurried home and told the relations what had happened. The old grandmother told them that they must all kneel and pray, as it was the soul of their relative being taken to heaven. They did not believe her but prayed anyway. They had been very frightened by the experience. Can you imagine their faces, when, early the next morning, the priest came and told them their relative had passed away not long after they had left the house.....about the same time as they heard the music coming down the lane. My brother and I used to tease my Dad in later years after my Mum had died, saying he and Mum told some good "ghost" stories about Ireland, but to his dying day, his face would get very serious, and he said that what happened to him and Mum was one of the most frightening things that had ever happened to them. Now Dad had fought in WW1 and saw the horrors and fear of war and had been badly wounded but said nothing frightened him in the War as much as that Apparition coming down that lane. So Jean, that "haunting music" certainly brought back memories. We dont know what happened over there in Ireland and it seems incredible that there were so many happenings that could not be explained. Thank you, Kind regards, Mary