Lena McNamara

Interview by Ruth Minogue on November 23, 2009

Gender: Female

Birth date: 1920

Area: North Clare

Report date: December 5, 2015

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Time Description
File 1 0:00:00 - 0:03:45 FAMILY - Lena speaks about being from Corofin parish. Speaks about the death of her mother, sister and aunt within six months when she was six. Speaks about father getting work on railway at back of house from kindly foreman to pay for funerals. Father was very good to men - gave tea etc to any who wanted.
0:03:53 - 0:07:32 PRIEST WHO REFUSED TO BAPTISE BABY - Speaks of priest who refused to baptise baby before mother died and him having to come back that evening to make good. Speaks again about the death and the good will of railway foreman.
0:07:33 - 0:09:24 JOBS AROUND THE HOUSE/FARM - Washing of children - boys in river all year round, girls inside. Speaks about the farm, milking, making butter.
0:09:25 - 0:11:50 SCHOOL - Lena talks about school. Story about teacher writing home when her brother missed one day! He was impressed! Older children cycled to Christian Brothers in Ennistymon.
0:12:46 - 0:13:40 HER BROTHER - Her brother Seán was in army and used to send money home to her father.
0:13:41 - 0:22:15 LENA'S HUSBAND/FAMILY/CHRISTMAS - She speaks about her husband Danny teaching their daughter before she started school and so was way ahead of other students. She became a teacher. Lena speaks about her match to Danny McNamara from O'Callaghan's Mills. Speaks about day her husband got heart attack and stayed in bed for a year before he died. She talks about flour bag sheets. She talks about her belief that her husband watched over them all their lives. Story about her daughter getting a puncture and not being able to fix it when two strangers appeared, fixed it and then disappeared. Story she heard about a lady whose baby twins died and when her husband was dying the priest was led to the house by two small boys - the ghosts of her babies. She believed it evidence of God's mercy. Talks about Christmas Money for Santa came from her sister in England. Tells a story of her son Sean finding presents one year. Talks about the wren and St. Stephen. Lena has great devotion to St. Stephen. She believes he cured her son's stomach problems. No meat was eaten by her family on this day

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