John Joe Marrinan
Interview by Geraldine Greene on October 29, 2009
Gender: Male
Birth date: 1908
Area: West Clare - Einagh
Report date: December 4, 2015
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| FILE 1 0:00:00 - 0:02:32 | NTRODUCTION AND EARLY YEARS - John Joe was born in 1908. He gives information re: his parents, description of the house and big renovation in 1938 - the builder was Michael McGough, Inagh. He talks about his siblings, (his father married for a second time after his first wife died) and his early childhood. |
| 0:02:32 - 0:06:12 | SCHOOL DAYS - John Joe talks about his school days in Furglan; one teacher was Mr. Devitt from Kilfenora, lunches, fuel, taking days off for the bog or farm work, leaving school early, walking to school with neighbours -he names some of their neighbouring families, liking school and school work. He left school at the age of 13 or 14 to work at home. He says he would have liked to stay on at school and perhaps become a teacher or similar. |
| 0:06:12 - 0:08:18 | HIS EARLY WORKING LIFE - His father's passing away in 1929 after being unwell for some time, helping at home, working in the evenings, milking the cows, working in the bog. Children had no choice but to work on the farm. |
| 0:08:18 - 0:11:10 | SOCIAL EVENTS - Playing cards, little time for sport/football/fun, visiting neighbours. Mary recalls outings on Garland Sundays. |
| 0:11:10 - 0:10:06 | WORKING LIFE - John Joe talks about working as a postman from age 15 & doing farming work. |
| 0:10:06 - 0:11:17 | ELECTRICITY - Electricity came to the area in 1959 around the time he got married. He talks about some of the changes and getting the milking machine in later years. |
| 0:11:17 - 0:12:48 | WORKING LIFE AND HIS NEIGHBOURS - Visiting his neighbours. John Joe talks about delivering the post and using a bicycle in later years. |
| 0:12:48 - 0:15:09 | FAMILY - 5 siblings emigrated to the USA, his brother Peter aged 100, his Mother died at 97 in 1975, his father died in 1929. |
| 0:15:09 - 0:17:42 | FARMING - John Joe talks about milking cows, using horses, fowl, killing the pig, doing the hay, neighbours helping one another and some changes in farming and the land. |
| 0:17:42 - 0:18:12 | PIONEER MEMBER - John Joe has been a Pioneer member for 70 years. |
| 0:18:12 - 0:19:30 | CHURCH INFORMATION - Ennistymon, walking to Mass, Furglan church in use for 20 years to 1981 |
| 0:19:30 - 0:21:35 | JOHN JOE'S FIRST CAR - John Joe talks about the first car in the area in the late 1920s. He recalls the Crowes, their neighbours having one in the 1930s. John Joe got his first car, a Morris Minor in 1964. He recalls the mileage when he bought it in Ennis. |
| 0:21:35 - 0:21:47 | EARLY DAYS AS A POSTMAN - John Joe describes his days as a postman up to 1934. |
| 0:21:47 - 0:23:08 | DOCTORS Their local doctor was Dr Hillery based in Miltown and Dr O'Dwyer in Ennistymon. Their local hospital was in Ennistymon though locals rarely attended as they had their own cures but he doesn't recall any of these. |
| 0:23:08 - 0:24:28 | JOHN JOE'S BROTHER IN U.S. ARMY - His brother of 100 (one year younger than John Joe) left Ireland in 1929 and joined the Army visited home in 1948 after World War 11. He was a member of the police force after his time in the Army. John Joe was not a member of the FCA/LDF as he was too busy with the farm work. |
| 0:24:28 - 0:26:25 | WORKING ON THE FARM - Working at home, he talks about his mother making the butter, salting the bacon, buying provisions, keeping the garden, fowl, currency change in 1970s. Mentions shops in Ennistymon. |
| 0:26:25 - 0:27:25 | PLANE CRASH IN MOY - John Joe talks about the plane crash (a flight from USA), when he was young. No-one was killed (a two-seater). He talks about the local people going to see it. |
| 0:27:25 - 0:27:59 | TRAVEL - John Joe shares some stories of travels he has done to Dublin and elsewhere. |
| 0:27:59 - 0:30:25 | MARRIAGE AND FAMILY - Marriage in 1959 and his children - five girls. He met his wife at the local creamery. He talks about going to the horse races in Miltown on his bicycle. |
| FILE 2 0:00:00 - 0:02:13 | SOCIAL EVENTS - John Joe talks about his pastimes, playing cards at gambles in neighbouring houses at Mount Callan and elsewhere. He refers to the house-stations which were held in the past. |
| 0:02:13 - 0:02:54 | MARRIAGE - John Joe recalls his wedding breakfast held in the Old Ground in Ennis and his honeymoon in Dublin. |
| 0:02:54 - 0:03:40 | JOHN JOE'S SIBLINGS - John Joe has siblings in other counties in various careers. Most of them attended the secondary school in Ennistymon while one sister was a boarder in Ennis. They would help out on the farm when home on visits or holidays. |
| 0:03:40 - 0:04:07 | GRANDCHILDREN - John Joe talks about his grandchildren and their lives now. |
| 0:04:07 - 0:05:18 | 1960s - John Joe recalls getting the television in 1960s; mentioned the radio and their clothes; better times in 1960s - getting the pension. |
| 0:05:18 - 0:05:45 | JOHN JOE'S 100TH BIRTHDAY IN 2008 - Presidential cheque, his brother came home in 1970s |
| 0:05:45 - 0:07:00 | LIFE AND HEALTH - John Joe talks about his life, his routine now & his health. John Joe credits hard work for his long healthy life. He rarely suffers pain. He never smoked nor drank alcohol. |
| 0:07:00 - 0:08:25 | COMMITMENTS AFTER HIS FATHER'S PASSING AWAY - His father passed away when John Joe was aged 20. He talks about family commitments, having to work and help rear his siblings. |
| 0:08:26 - 0:10:19 | FAMILY & MARRIAGE - Marriage, his wife's background, his parish & locality, family now; his brother emigrated to by ship to USA. |
| 0:10:19 - 0:13:14 | OUTINGS AND OCCASIONS - John Joe recalls walking to Inagh, Mass in Inagh and Cloonanaha and visits to town. He regularly goes to town in Ennistymon and attends Mass with family members. He does not attend the local day care centres. He talks a little about Christmas and how times were hard with little money. |
| 0:13:14 - 0:14:46 | HIS LATER YEARS - John Joe shares some local news. He listens to the news daily. He talks about trips to visit family members in Dunmanway, Dublin and Mayo by train or car. He got help to build the sheds around the house from Michael McGough (he & wife still alive, celebrated 70 years marriage). |
| 0:14:46 - 0:21:29 | HIS LATER YEARS - Working to 1990s - he worked on the farm and drove his car and tractor to the age of 85. He talks about his farm; the house; social life; attending the show in Ennistymon; waltzing and dancing; his family; trips to Knock and Lisdoonvarna; the funeral of Doolin man; gambles at Lahinch, Mount Callan and elsewhere; his pioneer pin. |
| 0:21:29 - 0:24:20 | WORLD WARS/RATIONING John Joe talked about how he met and knew Mary Greene, my mother and a cousin of his neighbours. He is now the oldest man/person in locality. His grandchildren join in the conversation. He recalls the World Wars and remembers the rationing. He talks about his health now. |