Nora Moroney (née Lynch)

Nora Moroney (née Lynch)  

Female  

June 1, 1909  

Clare  

-  

-  

Five children (Husband deceased)  

Housewife  

March 03, 2011  

Life Interview  

1hr 12mins 29secs  

Nora speaks about her memories of life growing up in Darragh, Lissycasey. She recalls going to school, the Black and Tans, working at home, in the bog. She speaks about moving to Kilanena at the age of 28 to work as a housekeeper for the local priest. She also speaks about various aspects of life in the past including, Wren dances, buttermaking, pisreogs and her mother’s belief in the Banshee. 

 

CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOL - Nora speaks about her early life in Lismil Bride, Darragh, Lissycasey. She speaks about going to school barefoot to Caherea National School. She names the teachers in Caherea, Mr. O’Donoghue and Miss Twomey and Mr. Pyne from Caherea.  

THE BLACK AND TANS - Nora speaks about her memories of the Black and Tans. She states that they wouldn’t pay much heed to the children when they passed them in their cars. She states that the Kennas (McKennas) house was raided a number of times. The Kenna’s use to give their house up as a safe house to the local IRA Volunteers. She speaks briefly about the Barretts who were her near neighbours. She describes them as the ‘The Men’. She recalls seeing de Valera when she was a young girl.  

LIFE ON THE FARM - Nora speaks about life at home on the farm. She speaks about making butter at home. They would take some butter to sell at Ennis but usually used it at home. She speaks about the tradition of ‘Cooring’, when neighbours would help their neighbours and would get help in turn. Note: Nora misheard the questions about ‘cuairt’ and answered about ‘cooring’. Nora speaks about the pisreogs (Superstitions) surrounding butter making.  

KILLING THE PIG - Nora recalls the Killing of the pig back in Darragh. They would bring a man in to kill the pig.  

WORKING IN THE BOG - Nora speaks briefly about working in the bog.  

MOVING TO KILANENA AND GETTING MARRIED - Nora speaks about moving to Kilanena to work as the local priest’s housekeeper. She met her husband Tom Moroney and lived in Glen for a number of years. She speaks about getting married in Kilanena. There were only a small number of friends at the wedding. They went to Ennis and Nora’s brother Martin held a small party for them.  

HER FATHER PAT LYNCH - Nora speaks briefly about her father Pat Lynch who lived to be 100 years old.  

WAKES - Nora speaks about her recollections of Wakes. She did not recall any clay pipes at wakes but she had heard of them.  

MAY NIGHT - Nora speaks about the various customs associated with May Night. She speaks about Mrs. Rooney who used to place things on peoples farms on May Night. She mentions ‘bringing in the May’, which involved bringin in a branch of the Whitethorn bush for good luck on May Night.  

NORA'S MOTHER MARY FITZGIBBON AND THE ROLE OF TWO WOMEN - She speaks about her mother (Mary Fitzgibbons) who was an only child and inherited her father’s farm. Nora speaks about getting water into The house for the first time.  

ELECTRIFICATION - Nora speaks about the arrival of electricity.  

THE RATIONING - Nora speaks about the ration books. She speaks about going to Noni Brodericks with her ration books. She states that there was a Black Market locally ran by Sam Doyle.  

PADDY THE SHOEMAKER - Nora speaks about ‘Paddy the Shoemaker’, who was the local person that would fix your shoes at his workshop in Faha. THE BANSHEE - Nora speaks about her mother’s belief in the Banshee. Her mother would often speak about listening to the Banshee’s cry passing her house and going to a close by fort.  

THE BANSHEE - Nora speaks about her mother’s belief in the Banshee. Her mother would often speak about listening to the Banshee’s cry passing her house and going to a close by fort.  

MATCHMAKING - Nora speaks about matchmaking and that often the people would meet a number of times before getting married.  

GOING ON THE WREN AND WREN DANCES - Nora speaks about going on the Wren in Darragh. She states that almost every house would give a shilling. She also speaks about the Wren dances and states that Paddy Sheedy was the main musician who played the concertina. She speaks briefly about other house dances throughout the year. She states that the Priests were against the dances.  

CURES AND BIDDY EARLY - Nora speaks briefly about cures. She states that Biddy Early really had cures. She states that some people were very positive about her and others felt there wasn’t any good in her. Nora’s mother spoke about Biddy Early back in Darragh.  

THE FIRST CARS - Nora recalls seeing the first cars but states that she didn’t pay much heed to them and took it in her stride.  

TRAVELLING - Nora speaks about travelling. She had travelled to America and England a number of times. She speaks about the importance of meeting new people with different opinions.  

POLITICS - Nora speaks about politics locally.  

CHRISTMAS - Nora describes her recollections of Christmas when she was a child.  

RECITATION AS GAEILGE - Nora recites a poem in Irish and translates it into English. She learnt the poem over 90 years ago when in Caherea National School.  

FARM MACHINERY AND CUTTING SCILLANS - Nora speaks about the changes to farm machinery over the years but states that it was natural for things to improve. She speaks about cutting ‘Scillans’. She explains how the scillans were cut.  

DEVELOPMENT OF BRODERICKS  

WORKING AT THE CLAREMOUNT HOTEL, LAHINCH Nora speaks about working as a waitress at the Claremount Hotel in Lahinch for a year and a half. She stayed at the hotel as you could be called on at any time to help. The Linnanes owned the hotel at the time.  

MOVING TO KILENANA - Nora speaks about getting the job as a housekeeper in Kilanena. She recalls that when she came to Kilanena and seeing trams of hay in October. She mentions Dr. Scanlon who was the Doctor that came to the dispensary in Kilanena. She speaks about meeting her husband Tom Moroney.