Jude Doyle
Interview by Edel Green on November 14, 2009
Gender: Male
Birth date: 11642
Area: North Clare - Ennistimon
Parish: Kilmanaheen - Ennistimon
Report date: August 10, 2011
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 0:00:00 - 0:03:24 | FAMILY BACKGROUND - Jude says he was born on the 15/11/31 into a family of nine. He was the second youngest in the family but the youngest boy. He has a sister still alive younger than him who lives in England. His family was a shoe maker. He talks about how his main clientele been farmers who would cycle to his fathers place on a Sunday to get measured. He says Wellingtons weren't available during the war due to the lack of rubber. His father also had trouble getting leather because his business wasn't big enough. He managed to get the leather from Hayes in Limerick. At that time there were a lot of shoemakers in Ennistymon. |
| 0:03:24 - 0:07:28 | WORLD WAR II - Bernadette, Jude's daughter, asks him to tell how his father got leather during the war. Jude explains that his father spoke to a man that was friendly with de Valera. When he asked about business he said he had loads of work but no leather. This man then arranged for him to get leather. His brother Christy who was second eldest in the family and was a very good shoemaker. They use to start working with there father straight after school at the age of 15. Jude mainly did all the stitching. His father trained with Andy Welsh who owned a big business in Ennis. |
| 0:07:28 - 0:08:57 | SCHOOL - Jude says he went to the convenant school first until they did their Holy Common. After this they went to the monastery school ran by the Christian Brothers. Jude talks about how they would get the cane when you misbehaved. Those times they would encourage kids to speak Irish so they would have to use in the playground. |
| 0:08:57 - 0:14:07 | FAMILY BACKGROUND - His mother's family were stone masons from Ballinasloe. She lost a brother in WWI who is buried in France. Jude rarely went to Ballinasloe as it was approx. 70 miles from Ennistymon and they had no car. A lot of the records about his mother's family were destroyed during the Civil War. His grandfather, Patsy Doyle, moved from Ennis to Ennistymon. He was a thatcher. A lot of the records about Jude's mother were destroyed during the Civil War. Jude did a bit of work on the Heines bog and they would get what was called a 'bank of turf'. During the break a fire was lit and everyone would have a cup of tea. Farmers would say that tea in the bog was better than tea at home. |
| 0:14:07 - 0:17:40 | SEASONAL CUSTOMS - The mummers would occur on St. Stephen's day every year. People would go around to each house playing music and dancing and in return they would get a little bit of money. Jude talks about going down to the Fall's Hotel one year. They went around the back to the servant's entrance and when they were finished they told them to go around to the front because they hand a few America soldiers there. They would be brought to the Hotel with horse's and coach At that time the Hotel was belonging to Brendan O' Reagan who was the first man to bring in Duty Free shopping in Shannon. He goes on to tell a story about when he met him outside the main gates of the Hotel. |
| 0:17:40 - 0:27:11 | ENGLAND AND THE ENGLISH ARMY - Jude was married in Ennis Cathedral and had the reception across the road in the Old Ground Hotel. His wife was from Kilrush and he met her in England at the Irish Dances. He went over there in 1950 and his brothers were already there. He went to Dartford in Kempt. Juse goes on to talk about what h is brothers were doing in England and when they returned to Ireland Not long after he had moved in with his sister, he got called up to the English Army to do his national service at the age of 22. Anyone who was born in England was expected to do at least two years national service. When filling out the form, Jude put the 'Inniskillings' in Northern Ireland as his preference. When ever he travelled to the south he would have to change out of his uniform. After he got married to Mary he was stationed in Berlin where he was training to go to Korea for the Korean War. Jude says he didn't like the army but he put up with it unlike others and he tells a story about one lad who deserted. Jude states that there were 500 Irish men in the English army. It took them a month to get to Korea. When ever the ship docked everyone got three or four hours shore leave. Jude was on this ship when his first son, Brian was born. His sister that was living in Dartford sent him a marconigram. After six months in Korea Jude got what was called a 'bounty' and a medal. He was then sent to Kenya and after five months there was sent home. |
| 0:17:11 - 0:35:17 | WORLD WAR II - On the day the war broke out his mother and father were on a day trip to Ballybunnion. When they arrived they heard England declared war on Germany and returned immediately. His brother visiting Ireland when the war broke out but still returned to England. Jude talks about the time the American plane landed on the sand in Lahinch. The local defence force was located in Lahinch and they were dispatched to arrest the pilots of the plane. Today, there is a plaque located on the wall beside O' Looneys Bar commemorating the landing. At that time there were signals used in the event of approaching enemies. It was then the responsibility of the local defence force to protect the towns and villages. Jude talks about members of his family that were involved in the local defence force. Jude talks about Patti Frank Keane and tells a funny story. |
| 0:35:17 - 0:41:15 | FAIRS AND PASS TIMES - The Cattle mart would take place in town and by five in the morning the farmers would by trying to get the best position for the cows. Jude talks about the cows been taken up to the yard to be slaughtered. Jude use to swim in the local river and they would play billiards in the town hall. At that time they were too young to go to the big dances. They would go to the operas which were held in the town hall. All the performers were local and sometimes boys had to dress up as girls. They would go to the bicycle shop to get some old wheels and they would get a stick which they called 'bowleys' His eldest brother Paddy saw an advert in the paper for a competition. The person to collect the most toffee papers would win a bicycle and he won it. |
| 0:41:15 - 0:45:10 | FUNERALS - When somebody died they would go into the monastery to say a pray. Once you done that you get a glass of lemonade for kids and adults would get wine or whiskey. Jude tells a story that involves Patti Frank Keane. |
| 0:00:00 - 0:04:07 File 2 | CHILDHOOD - When Jude was growing up he would share a bed with is two brothers. Monday was wash day and all the clothes were washed in a bath with a scrubbing board. They owned both pigs and chickens. Every night Jude's mother would say the rosary and he tells a funny story. A lot of people would have pigs during the war. If there was anywhere they could put one they would. There was a man in Ennistymon that would kill the pigs. |
| 0:04:07 - 0:12:05 | ENNISTYMON - Jude says that someone once said there were 40 pubs in Ennistymon. He was once able to name everyone that lived in every house. He then lists off a few shoe makers and other businesses that operated in Ennistymon. Jude talks about Henchy's market and the things you would get there. Jude went to school with the owner, Michael Henchy who died of Polo. Polo was widespread in those days and so was TB. Jude talks about the post office and it costing 8 penny to post a letter. There were a lot of undertakers around those and Jude talks about Linnane's undertakers which are still there today. Jude's father would get saw dust from here and would use it when cooking the pigs. Jude's family had there own donkey and cart. Jude's mother was from Kilrush and was farmer's daughter. She got a scholarship to study agriculture at Galway University. She left after that year because she would have to start paying. |
| 0:12:05 - 0:15:09 | THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE AND THE CIVIL WAR - Jude says that the war of independence and the civil war weren't talked about when he was younger. He tells a story about his aunt Molly. The story is about when the Black and Tans catch someone by the name of Michael Nestor. He was accused of shooting an officer in Ennistymon. Molly hid him in her bed. Another time they were looking for a youngster named Conail. He was in Jude's house playing cards and his father told not to go. He ended up going and they caught him. His house was burned down with his wife and baby inside. |
| 0:15:09 - 0:18:52 | TRADITIONS - Jude states there was a very strong tradition of people going on Cuairt. At that time not many people had electricity then. People would come in and tell stories about the fairies. When ever there was a hurling match the fairies would sit on the fence and watch the game. Jude talks about the time he saw the Banshee outside his house which stayed all night long. The next day his neighbour, Tommy Skerritt, asked if he heard the Banshee crying last night. Bernadette says that her mother saw the Banshee once and shortly after someone did die. |
| 0:18:52 - 0:25:44 | RELIGION - Jude says his brother used to serve mass with a very impatient priest and if you didn't have everything ready for him he would get angry. The missionaries would come to town every now and then. The priest sermons would be very focused on sinning and it repercussions. Jude's mother was very religious and went to mass everyday. She worked with Dr. Keane. Jude tells a story about Dennis who was the Doctors son. |
| 0:25:44 - 0:27:48 | PASS TIMES - After School in there free time they would play Cowboys and Indians. Jude talks abut the time he fell into the river whilst trying to get something out. They would play cards with their neighbours. |
| 0:27:48 - 0:32:07 | WORLD WAR II - They had a radio in there house and Jude says a man would call up to the house to hear the war news. Newspapers were also an important source for war updates. Jude's brother, Paddy, got called into the English Army and he was sent to India. It took him months to get there. The ships would take thousands and would constantly have to change their headings because of enemy ships been spotted. They would have to sail by the Cape of Good Hope because there was no Suez Canal then. He was there for three or four years later. When the war finished he was allowed to return to his trade. |
| 0:32:07 - 0:36:43 | TRADES AND WORK - Jude says he doesn't know people made a profit on man made boots because he remembers selling boots for £2.50. He says tradesmen were never worried about time. Jude remembers approaching his mother to ask for 2 Shillings for school books but instead of getting it she would say the leather bill was due so they had to pay that. There was much more work available in England during the 1950's. |
| 0:36:43 - 0:44:10 | SICKNESS - Jude says he has four children and goes to talk about his kids and their ages. Jude then remembers he never talked about the time he spent 12 months in Ennistymon Hospital. He was admitted with St. Vitus Stance when he was ten. He says he got that from playing on the street and the activities included handball, skipping and hop scotch. Bernadette explains that St. Vitus Dance was a jerking of the limbs and it was very rare disease. He thinks he got it from falling in the streets which resulted in blood poisoning. Jude talks about the time the doctor saw him out playing in the rain. Jude says that he found a St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Interview ends |