Posted by Butch on April 06, 2001 at 07:30:17:
In Reply to: Landscapes posted by urrisk on March 31, 2001 at 10:25:16:
Thanks for the story Murrisk. The tragedy that struck that family, down happened on a Christmass eve I believe. It devastated a family that had come to-gether and had gone out to celebrate their new house and perhaps an end to their ceasless nomadic travelling.It was the first successfull effort (short lived) to re-settle "travellers" by a local community .Jimmy O Reilly ,my Father and myself had spent that afternoon ferrying furniture to the small cottage past the railway tracks ,I particularly remember carrying in a bed frame and box springs. Dr Tobin was later to remark on the carnage of being everywhere his job being passed over to the coroner .Those of the family that were left, headed to England. It has been a long time since I have seen the roads of County mayo ,But i can still see the line of gaily coloured caravans being pulled by single ponies heading down any road from Gallway to Westport. Old women wrapped in bright shawls soliciting funds! Hearing the knock on the door Is the master home? god bless ye all, could I have a graineen of sugar, or a drop of milk for the babby, I'll say a prayer for ye ,Is the master home? The old man would try to keep their childer in school for as long as they might stay in the area so then they got to know to where he lived on the Newport Rd. Has anyone ever seen the documentary "Southpaw" about the first "Traveller" to make it to the olympics.