Jamsie Walsh
Interview by Mary McInerney on February 8, 2012
Gender: Male
Area: West Clare - Creegh North
Report date: December 9, 2015
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| File 1 0:00:00 - 0:03:47 | THE VILLAGE OF CREE - Jamsie describes the village of Cree. His house was built in 1934-the year he started school. His aunt started up a shop in the village. He mentions Honan's shop at the cross. Marty Tubridy had a shop where Meaney's is now. Jack Fitzgibbon, (Jack Harrigan's grandfather), had a shop at the bridge selling groceries. Flynn had a hackney car and it cost 8 shillings to go to Kilrush. Patrick Donnellan's was the first house built there in his time, around 1946. |
| 0:03:48 - 0:09:33 | BLACKSMITH - Tommy Golden built the forge after coming back from England. His uncle was a blacksmith from Kilmurry-McMahon. He had one of the first electric welders. He also set up a mill to grind corn. Tommy built his house in 1952 and Jamsie reckons it was the first cavity block walled house built in the area. Other blacksmiths were Egan in Craggaknock and Sinon, who had a forge in Caherfeenick and Paddy Crowley in Ballnagun, Cree. Tommy had a forge Ballnagun before he went to England and Paddy took it over from him. Tommy was in England four or five years and he came back around 1946. |
| 0:09:34 - 0:15:40 | SHOPS IN CREE - Jamsie speaks of Honan's shop which he sold to John McGuire in 1952. Patrick Donnellan set up a shop across the road. His wife, Kathy, was a dressmaker. They had petrol pumps at the shop. The post office had been at Siney McInerneys shop. After Siney and his wife, Bridget, (née Roland), died the wife of his brother-in-law, Margo, (née Murphy), took over the post office for a year until she died. Many of the people were looking to take over the post office but Harrigans got it. The post office was at Cree Cross originally. |
| 0:15:41 - 0:20:33 | ELECTRIFICATION - Jamsie thinks they got the electricity around 1957. He says some people were concerned about the price of it. Paraffin oil was one and six pence a gallon at the time. He speaks of the single and double burner lamps. He says the tilly was a great lamp but it would make a lot of noise. The first tilly lamp he saw was at Honan's shop. He describes a double burner. He says people would be trying to read the newspaper with the bad light and cheap glasses. His parents would get the paper every day usually The Irish Press or The Independent. |
| 0:20:34 - 0:24:11 | SHOPS IN CREE - Jamsie says Willie Honan sold the place in 1952 and bought a business in Dublin. He sold to John McGuire. McGuire initially sold flour and meal. He married Peg Murphy. He says the Flynns, from Miltown, bought the pub from Micho Kelly. |
| 0:24:12 - 0:31:50 | BLACK & TANS/WAR OF INDEPENDENCE - He speaks of a school teacher, Darcy, who was supposed to be a spy was shot in Doonbeg. He mentions Bill Haugh and others involved. They brought him to the priest in Cooraclare to give him his last rites. They maintained he gave away information about Mac & Shanahan who were shot by the Black & Tans. They were involved in the shooting of the magistrate, Lindrum. Shanahan was supposed to have driven his car into Dubhlough lake. He speaks of Fitzmartin's involvement in the War of Independence. |
| 0:31:51 - 0:34:15 | SETTLE BED - Jamsie describes sleeping in a settle bed at a cousin's house in Kilfenora. He says it was the most comfortable place he every slept. |
| 0:34:16 - 0:38:32 | LENT/DRINK - Jamsie speaks of lent and what they would give up. He said you weren't supposed to eat meat any Friday of the year. He says in those days people drank half pints not pints. Anyone drinking a pint would be considered a drunkard. A half glass of whiskey was eleven pence then it rose to a shilling. |