Travellling Folk

transcribed at

Travellling Folk  [duchas:5161251]

Travelling folk still come to our district. The same people have been coming for about ten, or some of them twenty years. They are all very poor. 

Some of them sell small articles such as hairpins, pins, combs, brushes etc. They get some of them in towns round about where they will obtain them the cheapest. 

They are always welcome to these parts. The ones who have no home near stop in each house for a night and go away the next morning. But most of the travellers have their homes in the village of Emmyvale.  The ones who live far away sleep on a "shake-down" along the fireside. All travellers accept any alms but they prefer money, flour meal or eggs. They travel about on foot. Some of them travel singly and others travel in bands. 

The names of the best known of them are The Sweeneys; The Macenerney [?] Ann Sheridan and Mrs Reilly.

Travellling Folk  [duchas:5161252]

At Christmas travellers come from other districts to sell articles. 

They do not tell stories but they bring news from other parts. These questions equally apply to former travellers. 
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Food in olden times

White Sauce This is how white sauce is made. Milk is boiled and then some vegetables such as cabbage and leeks are put on it. Some flour is mixed in a little drop of milk and then it is pored [sic] in. It is boiled then. A little piece of butter is put on it also. This food is made yet in this district.