SNIPPET: Per the late Susan FLYNN (nee NESDALE), living in Ireland in her early years was different than it is today. There were large families and people lived on food they produced on their own farms -- "Every Christmas a big pig was killed. The ham was cured separately and was boiled for Christmas dinner. A turkey was roasted in a big oven alongside the hearth fire with coals heating the lid... What a pleasure to sit down to your Christmas dinner and taste the flavour of that delicious bird along with your own home-grown vegetables. Our church was over two miles away and all the neighbours, old and young, would assemble together on Christmas morning. The older people had lighted lanterns. With the frost and snow thick on the ground, we liked to start long before daylight. Over the road we joined with several more families. It is a memory I will never forget with such a pleasant atmosphere as we all made our way to our church to worship. There was such craic o! n the way home as we started snowballing. You had to give as much as you got. Some took offence, and then the fat was in the fire. After Christmas the young fellows would go out to bury the wren and collect plenty of money on Stephen's Day. A meeting was held to choose a house for the spree. All the neighbours from miles round were invited and the music would light your heart. We often danced to four violins playing together for the twelve days of Christmas. It was such a pleasure living in Ireland in those days. Old people got such respect and the door never had to be locked at night. My father was a great man for plenty of crop. It took several days to harvest our oats. Remember that it was a hook and a scythe that was used then. It took several days to bring home the oats on the horse and cart. You had to be very careful building the oats on the cart because if the sides were not even the cart could very easily overturn. I was witness to a few such upsets. It such an emergency we all had to lie on the horse's neck while my brothers with skilled hands and practice would release every strap. The oats were then removed from the cart. The cart was very quietly pushed off the animal. Up he would jump and not a bone would be broken .... My father and brothers were violin players who loved music and Dad took great delight in passing on the tradition by giving lessons to eager youngsters. Our home was a home of music and games, but there was plenty of hard work too. All the local boys would come to practice football in our meadow. We had a great football team in the our immediate area. My father was the referee, and he was a strict one. He stood for no nonsense and demanded the best of every player. The match that was played on the Sunday would later be replayed at our fireside. It gave him great pleasure to hear of our team's huge feat in achieving victory. Our footballers were greatly skilled and always played it clean. They were a joy to watch ... Unfortunately employment was very scarce in Leitrim at the time and as a result several of those fine young men were forced to emigrate and were lost to future Leitrim teams .... I retained a lifetime love of Gaelic football and I enjoy nothing more th! an following the games every Sunday on the radio and television. The Leitrim team's performance against Roscommon this year was wonderful and one that will be remembered for a long time. They were a credit to the county. Well done to the manager, Declan ROWLEY on how well he had them prepared ... The war years were difficult times. Many items were scarce. We often had to seek out the black market. A tyre for a push bike used to be about 3/6 in old money. It rocketed to one pound but we had no option but to buy it. Otherwise you would have to stay at home from dances, which were miles away. The dance halls were a great source of pleasure. Young people travelled from miles around for those dances. I met my own beloved at one such dance ... One thing you had to know how to do in our time was know how to dance or you would be a wallflower all night. There was an old school house up the road and there was a dancing class held there every Tuesday night. It was there that we learned the Irish dancing steps. We perfected the Highland fling, the Barn dance, the Stack of Barley, the Walls of Limerick and the Irish Reel and many more. ... There were great singers - it was a treat to hear them sing The Black Bird of Sweet Avondale, The White Cliffs of Dover and one ! of my favourites The Fields of Athenry. One chap used to sing Danny Boy - it was a hard song to sing but let me tell you he could reach the notes. We would stand in the lane and listen to the echo of beautiful voices on many a cold frosty night. When I hear those songs now it brings back sweet memories. When the war ended emigration started. It's sad to think that some of the finest looking boys and girls left our shore, the cream of our country departed. Most of them settled in England. It grieves me to think of the loss they were to our lovely country. I myself emigrated because I knew I was doomed to hardship. All my father wanted for me was a man with a farm. Age didn't come into it. If he was fifty years or ten more it didn't matter, as long as he had the acres he was a great choice. Often these farmers were up to their necks in debt .... Our mother was a far seeing woman. She was in America for many yeas and so she put me wise and gave great advice. My beloved went to London. We made a secret pact and I followed later. We married in England. My mother was in failing health, so we came on a visit. A local farm was up for sale and we bought it. We did not return to England. I took care of both parents with the help of my two brothers. My mother died f! irst and my father seven years later, at the ripe old age of ninety-three. We had many long talks, and it would draw a tear from a stone to hear of the hardships of his youth. And I for one am delighted to be living in lovely Leitrim." -- Excerpts, "Leitrim Guardian" 2004 annual magazine, with photos of Susan FLYNN, and of John FLYNN on his Massey Ferguson tractor.