Cis Collins
INTERVIEW by Brendan Daly
on October 08, 2010
Interviewee
Cis Collins
Gender
Female
Birth Date
1929
Area-Townland
West Clare - Darragh North
Parish-Townland
-
Report Date
October 25, 2010
Length of Interview
1hr 36 mins
Description
Cissie discussed:
- Her involvement in The Apostolic, amateur dramatic society, pioneer association, fundraising for the first school in Ballyea
- Family life, school life, life on the farm,
- Entertainment: cinema, radio, dances
- Customs (Christmas, Hallowe’en, May Eve) & traditions (The ‘American’ turkey market)
- The War of Independence (hers was a ‘safe house’), the Emergency & Carmody’s Hotel tragedy
- Rural electrification, emigration
- History of local place names
- Her memories of major visits to Ireland (JFK, Pope John Paul II, etc.)
Time
Description
File 1 00:00 – 01:44
School days and the walk home
01:44 – 02:25
Emigration among her class
02:25 – 03:20
Local hurling rivalry: Tiermaclane and Darragh
03:20 – 04:25
Amateur dramatic society & fundraising
04:25 – 06:15
Pioneer Association
06:15 – 07:15
The Apostolic
07:15 – 10:30
Making priests’ vestments: history, activities and roles
10:30 – 14:30
Amateur dramatic society: plays, venues and fundraising
14:30 – 15:25
Family life
15:25 – 19:10
Life & jobs on the farm
19:10 – 20:05
The rosary as an integral part of life
20:05 – 21:05
The half door and community life
21:05 – 22:00
Going to Ennis to shop
22:00 – 23:30
The ‘American’ turkey market: ‘pin’ money for housewives
23:30 – 24:30
Going to the fair
24:30 – 25:20
The radio as a source of news
25:20 – 26:25
Carmody Hotel tragedy
26:25 – 30:16
The Emergency and news of the war in England
30:16 – 32:43
Going to the cinema: ‘Gone with the Wind’, ‘The Quiet Man’, etc.
32:43 – 37:11
Dancing at Paddy Con’s
37:11 – 42:02
School subjects and reunited with school friends after 60 years
42:02 – 43:40
Emigration
43:40 – 46:23
GAA & Ballyea winning 1944 county hurling final
46:23 – 47:35
Cissie in Boston meeting Irish emigrants
47:35 – 52:38
Emigration: remittances, claiming out relatives and no choice but to go
File 2 00:00 – 01:37
Cissie’s neighbours when she was growing up
01:37 – 4:24
Christmas customs (buried holly, killing the pig & the ‘wren’)
4:24 – 9:23
Electrification of her house in 1955 (revealing the ‘dirt’ of the house and buying conveniences (iron, cooker, etc.))
9:23 – 10:34
Hallowe’en customs (fires, sparklers, snap apple)
10:34 – 12:30
Christmas gifts
12:30 – 13:15
May Eve (butter under the bush)
13:15 – 15:55
Dealings with the local priest (‘Stations’ in the house and the ‘missions’)
15:55 – 19:25
Fundraising for the first school in Ballyea (committee member and ‘Silver Circle’)
19:25 – 21:44
Butter and chicken instructor
21:44 – 24:05
‘Cures’ for ailments: ringworm
24:05 – 27:28
Visits to Ireland: JFK, Jackie Kennedy, Princess Margaret and Pope John Paul II’s visit
27:28 – 33:51
Cissie in Áras an Uachtaráin (1990 & 2008)
33:58 – 34:50
de Valera and the Black & Tans in Darragh
34:50 – 39:05
History of local place names - how they got their names (Cholera Hill, Loughaleir & Darragh)
39:06 – 43:48
Cissie’s house as a safe house during War of Independence (Brennan of Meelick took refuge for three months while Black & Tans visited the house, Cis’s family’s involvement in the War)
