Dominic Stuart

Interview by Ruth Minogue on November 23, 2009

Gender: Male

Birth date: 13748

Area: East Clare - Ballybroghan

Parish: Ogonnelloe - Ballybroghan

Report date: July 14, 2010

Time	Description
0:00:00 - 0:01:17	Early Life - Dominic speaks about early life. Born in 1937, lived in Ballybrohane with parents. Contracted polio at 5 and went to live with his schoolteacher aunt in Ballyloughnane. Spent a year in Dublin for treatment also.
0:01:18 - 0:04:50	Family Background - Talks about his father's family. His Dad was one of 16 children. All the children receive a full education and most went to boarding school. Talks a bit about some of them. His father took over family farm
0:04:51 - 0:16:39	School - Talks about Ballyloughnane school. Played hurling in field at back. Pupil knocked out one day and left when they went back to class. They walked about 1 mile through fields to get there. 25-30 pupils with his aunt Sarah teacher. Older kids helped younger. Liked been sent to gather sticks for fire. Parents expected to bring load of turf each year. Talks about Bishop coming to examine catachesism - Bishop Fogarty hard on children. Subjects taken. Points out that noting taught about 1916 at this time. His aunt gave him extra tuition to ensure his scholarship to St. Flannan's.
0:16:40 - 0:19:26	Family Background - Talks about his family again. Stuarts in Ballybrohane since at least 1800. Believed name many have derived from working as stewards. Mother was Bridget McNamara from Ogonnelloe. Married in 1936 and both boys delivered in Raheen hospital.
0:19:27 - 0:22:10	The Home - Talks about the house he grew up in. House draughty. During Sunday night card games all took turns at door side with blanket. Damp clothes were a norm. Baking and cooking on open fire.
0:22:11 - 0:22:23	The Farm - Talks about animals on the farm. His mother sold eggs and butter to Crotty's in Killaloe.
0:22:24 - 0:28:00	The Fairs - Fairs in Scarriff and Killaloe. Speaks of deal making process and the luck penny. Common to have a drink after and maybe food in Henchy's or Brady's. Animals didn't always sell. Streets in a big mess. Talks of the mart opening in the early 50's. Many local businesses opposed to it but did bring a fairer system to farmer as animal now sold by weight.
0:28:01 - 0:29:31	Family - Tells of his uncle Joe who lived in Dublin bringing claves home in the back of the car.
0:29:32 - 0:35:37	Polio - Talks about having polio. Contracted in 1942. Talks about casts and splints and special shoes. Went to live in Dublin with his aunt for a year so as to be treated by a Dr. Macauley. Went to school in Rathmines. On returning he and five others from the area with polio got Bus O'Briens bus to Ennis on Saturdays for physical therapy.
0:35:38 - 0:39:43	School - Talks about winning scholarship to St. Flannan's at 14. Big adjustment. Very confining and boring. Hurling only interest. Enjoyed overall experience and felt strong camaraderie with fellow students
0:39:44 - 0:40:45	College and work - Talks about attending UCD to study Engineering. Lived with aunt in St. Stephen's Green. Worked in Shannon and Limerick
0:40:46 - 0:48:36	Immigration - 1964 Dominic left for U.S - planed on staying about 1 year but ended up 44 instead. talks a small bit about life there. About the various Irish associations and importanced of these then compared to now. Talks about difference of goingto work/live in US now and then. Talks a bit about various places he lived. Met Diane and they got married in 1973 - bought her parents house in Bronx and then sold that to move here. Dominic inherited land from his aunt and that is where they built. Happy to be back except for weather!
0:48:37 - 0:53:43	Seasonal Customs - At this point of the interview, Dominic spends some time talking about seasonal customs. St.Stephen's day - the wren. Large no's partook Christmas - Santa, mass, goose. Cards that night with Christmas pudding and whiskey punch. Tells tale of mixing leftover punch with milk to try and get dog drunk.
0:53:24 - 0:54:48