Bawnboy and Templeport
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| DIARY OF A DERRYCASSAN FAMILY, January – August 1940
|
|
||||||||||||
Home
Supplied by Kevin Heery, Cloneary, son of Michael Heery, N.T., Porturlan, (Author)
JANUARY 1940
January 1 A good hard, dry day with frost all night. All were at Mass.
January 2 I was in town and got my pension. Tommy Gallagher was buried this day. I gave 2/- offerings to Johnny Gallagher as I was going into town.
January 3 Hardy, sunny, cold dry day. Joe tried to plough but had to give it up. Kathleen McManus was married this morning in Kilnavart.
January 5 Mother and I at confession.
January 8 Joe was ploughing at Martin’s. Bought a pack of flour in Dan’s for £1.
January 9 Joe and Pat opened a shore in little field at Martin’s.
January 10 Dark, dry day and cold. Joe and Pat made a shore in sand field at Martin’s.
January 11 James is building his henhouse. Pat was at Mrs. Rudden’s funeral.
January 12 Joe and Pat preparing the barn for the thresher.
January 13 Jim and Pat riddled the oats that was threshed in the barn. Joe was away looking about Dinnenny’s thresher which was in Killyran.
January 14 Frosty morning. We were all nearly late for Mass.
January 15 Joe went for thresher. Pat and James preparing garden and barn for oats. Pat was in town for a battery, and also for beef. Dinnenny brought the thresher from Killyran with his own two horses, which he left here that night.
January 16 Very cold, frosty day. Dinnenny commenced to thresh at 10a.m. All wore top coats. We had Hugh and Mullavey, Scott and Ch. Gallen, John P. McCaffrey, Rd. Fee, and John Martin came after dinner. They finished at 3.30p.m. Threshed 32 bags – charged £1.
January 17 Snow during night and a heavy frost. Joe and James drew in the straw to the hayshed and rid up the garden. The thresher went to Rd. Fee, but could not get it to thresh until late in the day.
January 18 Frosty cold day. Thresher went to Willie Teggart and threshed 22 bags.
January 19 Frost continues, very hard to break the ice to get drink for cattle.
January 20 Hardest frost yet. Nothing being done except sliding on the lakes and getting drinks for cattle.
January 21 Cold, hard and frosty. Boys were all out sliding on the lakes.
January 22 Nothing doing except getting drinks for calves, cows and horses.
January 23 Frosty. Nothing doing except foddering and drinks for the animals.
January 24 A thaw on Tuesday night and as roads were dry before frost came they are now fit for travel. Joe drew lime today.
January 25 Joe drew remainder of the lime.
January 26 Partly a wet day. Joe had the horses in the mowing machine going to mow rushes of a field in Kate’s which he intends ploughing but had to take them out before he left the street at 3 o’clock as rain commenced to fall heavily.
January 27 A very wet day and nothing doing outside. Pat got a pack of flour in Dan’s – paid £1 for it.
January 28 A very wet day. Bill took Mother and me, Joe and Kevin in his car to Mass. Bill went back at 7p.m.
Jan. 29,30,31 Dark cold days. Joe and Pat cleaned oats.
FEBRUARY 1940
February 1-3 On 1st I was in Ballyconnell, got my pension. McB. Bill £2-19s-7d. Gave 21/- for shirts. Richardson’s bill 4/6 paid. Medicines 4/6. Paid D. Reilly’s bill, 18/6.
Sunday 4 A good mild day. I gave 8/- for Confraternity of Sacred Heart to Fr. Small P.P. + 5/- on a former occasion.
Monday 5 Morning misty with short visibility. Joe ploughing in Catherine’s.
Tuesday 6 A good day. Joe and Jem are ploughing in Kate’s..
Friday 9 A very dark cold windy day. James and Pat in Ballyconnell for old shoes. Pat drew in potatoes. Joe ploughed in Kate’s.
Saturday 10 A dark cold day. Wind E. Joe ploughing in Kate’s.
Sunday 11 A good mild day, no rain. Fr. Small read Bishop’s Pastoral and announced collection for New Cathedral. Peter Smith’s mother was buried this Sunday in Kilnavart. Pat paid 2/- offerings.
Feb. 11-18th Monday to Wednesday, frosty dry and cold. Joe ploughed two days in Kate’s. A heavy fall of snow during Sat. night. Mother and Joe and I were not at Mass. Pat and Joe were at the Bazaar in the hall.
February 19 Fair day in Ballyconnell. We had nothing in it. Hugh Donohoe had his slips of pigs in it. Joe and Pat cut and marked out ridges for sodding with the plough.
February 20 A good mild day. Joe and Pat put out manure with the two carts, to Kate’s. Jem spread it. Kev. And Jem were in Bawn and got the bull passed.
February 21 A mild day, no rain. Joe and Pat are putting out manure for potatoes in Kate’s. James was spreading. Kev got a bag of Indian meal in P. Cos. @ 26/3 also butter 1/6, cream of tartar 6d, paper 1 and 1/2d, stout 3/6.
February 22 Joe and Pat carting out manure. James was spreading it. Joe got Dan Reilly’s bill for work done from July 1939 till now = £2-12s-6d.
February 23 Mild sunny day. Joe and James put out manure until dinner time. Joe went to the forge to get the filly shod. Pat went to town to post letters and look about shoes he paid O’Grady for. He left a battery with O’Grady to be charged. Kevin was in O’Hara’s, Corlough for a setting of eggs.
February 24 A good day. Joe, Pat and James coped what was manured down hill.
February 25 New time commenced today. Weather mild. Eddie Brady’s wife of Bawnboy died. Kev. went to funeral and paid 2/6 offerings.
February 26 A good day. Joe, Pat and Jem coped what was manured uphill.
February 27 Mild and sunny. Jem is working at his fowl house with Kevin helping him. Pat and Joe are filling in the sodded ridges.
February 29 A good hard dry day. Joe and Pat are cutting the 2nd half of the potato field.
MARCH 1940
Sat. 2nd Joe and Pat are putting out manure.
March 4 Joe, James and Pat are spreading the manure.
March 5 Joe, James and Pat coped the 2nd half of the field.
March 6 Joe, James and Pat filling in the coped ridges.
March 7 Joe is ploughing for the McElligots. Kev is setting onions.
Sunday 10 A bazaar in the hall. Joe, Pat and James at it. Hall was crowded.
March 13 Mike, Pat, Kev and John Donohoe at Bazaar. Kevin won a lamp.
March 18 Joe, Jim and Kev at the fair in Ballyconnell. Joe got £19 for his three calves. Kev. Got £6-5s for a white bull calf. He was offered only £10 for his licensed bull. He didn’t sell.
March 20 Joe is ploughing for old John Dolan.
March 21 Joe and Kev. Ploughed for Peter Prior.
March 22 Joe, Pat and James drawing home potatoes.
Easter Sunday Johnstone’s heifer calved in the field at 2.30. J.P. McCaffrey and C. McManus found her.
March 24 Kev. Paid 2/- offerings over young McPartlan, Bellaheady. Offerings amounted to £25.
March 25 Joe and Kev were ploughing potato tract in Quails mt. Pat and James are sorting, picking and drawing the potatoes. The twinny cow calved a bull-calf last night. Maggie McGinn came back this morning.
APRIL 1940
April 2 Mother and I went on Peter Cosgrove’s car to Spottens to get the cure of the ring-worm which we both took on our left hand. Charged 10/- each. Peter Cosgrove 7/6 for motor
April 3 Joe and Pat putting out manure on old park for potatoes.
April 4 Joe and Pat coped and spread the manure on the old park.
April 5 Joe and all were setting early potatoes and covering them in ridges. Pat and James were at Communion.
Sunday 7th Cavan Slashers and Templeport kicked in Bawn.
April 8 Joe coping with Hugh Donohoe. J.P. McCaffrey was walking on the score. James and Kevin were drawing sand with the horses. Mother was at Confession.
April 9 Joe, Pat, James and Kev setting potatoes in old Park.
April 10 All the boys setting coped ground in Kate’s. William Teggart and James Martin cutting seed potatoes. This was the first good day we had in three weeks.
April 11 I set 100 cabbage plants as Joe, Pat, James and Kev were setting potatoes in Kate’s.
April 12 I set another 100 cabbage plants in garden at door.
April 13 Joe did a day’s ploughing for Dan Reilly.
April 15 Joe sent three pigs to McCarren, Cavan.
April 16 Blue cow calved. Joe finished coping in old park.
April 17 Joe, Pat, Kev. And James setting lea in Kate’s.
April 18 We were all in the fair. Joe sold bullock calf for £7-10s. James sold the blue bull for £9. Got a cheque for £19-1s-5d for the three pigs sent to McCarren.
Sunday 21 A teeming wet day. There was a football in Bawn. Blacklion V Templeport. The Black won. Pat was kicking in Cavan. Templeport V Slashers. Templeport won.
April 24 Kev and Joe went to the mill with 8 bags of oats and turf. James rolled the meadows and Pat picked the stones.
April 25 Joe harrowed for Bennie Rourke till 2.30after which he harrowed for J.P. McCaffrey. James and Pat put a course on James’ fowl house and Kevin and I set plants.
April 26 This was a good growing warm sunny day. Joe harrowed for Paddy McCaffrey, Old Dolan and Dan Reilly. James and Pat set plants. Kev put a course of cement on the privy. I set quicks in the ditches. Joe harrowed and rolled the wheat just before a thunderstorm broke and lasted till morning.
April 27 Bright, sunny and warm day. Joe and Kev are fencing at Kate’s. James and Pat are rolling bog meadows and fields above them.
Sunday 28 Willie was here. He took Mother and me and John Donohoe for a drive to Bawn mountain. All the others were at footballs in Bawn and Blacklion.
April 29 Confirmation and a clearing station. Mother, Pat, Kev and I were at the chapel. I was at Confession. Charles McManus was married this day. Joe and the boys were sodding in the bog after dinner.
April 30 The boys were putting out manure and sodding in the bog.
MAY 1940
May 1 Joe, Pat, Jem and Kev were sodding in the bog. We let out the cows tonight as the hay was all used up.
May 2 Went to town. My bike broke down at Frank Rourke’s. Got a lift on Pat McKiernan’s cart. Was carried home on Hugh Donohoe’s trap.
May 3 Joe and Kev. Harrowed for oats for Willie Teggart and put down manure to the bog in the evening. Joe got a couple of backloads of hay from Rd. Fee.
May 4 The boys are sodding in the bog for potatoes. James harrowed for oats for John McGinn.
May 6 Joe scoring furrows in the old park. Pat and James shovelled.
May 7 Joe and Kev were scoring furrows in Kate’s.
May 8 Joe and Kev scoring – Pat and James shovelling.
May 9 Same as yesterday.
May 10 Scoring and shovelling. Bought sulphate of ammonia.
May 11 Joe finished scoring. Others were shovelling. Kev sold his bull to Luby for £11-10s.
May 14 The boys sowed the mangel and turnip seed. Kevin and I ditched and built the style at Gorteen.
May 16 Frost for two nights that injured the apple blossoms. The boys set the potatoes in the bog.
May 17 Got timber sawn at Richardson’s, Newtowngore.
May 18 Ballyconnell Fair. Joe sold two suckers in the fair and two sow pigs at home to Baxter, Carrickmakeegan.
Sunday 19 Young red cow calved in the field at P. Macs at midnight. Benny Rourke coming home heard the cows roaring and called at the door to tell us. She had calved when we got down. Joe had a creel with him and carried him home. James followed him with the cow.
May 20 Joe and James putting the timber in the barn. Kevin cutting rough heads in the bog.
May 21 Wet day. Joe made a pig-trough.
May 23 Ballymagauran Fair. Joe had the old red cow and a nice yearling heifer in the fair. He couldn’t sell the cow but got £9-15s for the heifer. James sold all his bulls (4).
May 24 Joe got Richard Fee’s mare to draw a load of lime, and to bring home the oatmeal from the mill. James got three bags of cement from D. Reilly to finish the hen house.
May 25 Joe and James went to Killywilly to stub whins. Pat and Kev drew bedding till dinner – afterwards they went to the bog to clamp rough heads. I mowed bedding in the Debenture.
Sunday 26 A football match in Bawn, Templeport V Cornafean. Senior League. Cornafean won by 3 points.
May 27 Joe and James put finishing course on the fowl house. Joe went with sow to John Bannon’s hog in the morning and with the mare in the evening to Richardson’s stallion, Newtowngore.
May 28 Young pig was round this day. The boys all went to the bog to make mud turf. Tommy Finlay, B’magauran was killed this morning by a bus at Allerton’s Cross. He was riding a bicycle.
May 29 Making mud turf.
May 30 All the boys in the bog.
May 31 A whole wet day from 6a.m. Joe and Kev finished the closet. They drew ten loads of gravel with two carts from 6p.m. for Willie Teggart.
JULY 1940
Weds. 10 Joe mowed the bog meadows and McCaffrey’s garden. James sprayed the old park – 2 barrels.
Fri. 12 Joe sprayed potato field at Kate’s.
July 17 Joe, James and Kev tedded the bog meadows and lapped one of them.
July 18 Tedded and lapped the two gardens at McCaffrey’s and rowed and lapped the bog meadow next Martins.
Mon. 22 Joe mowed the meadow at the house.
July 23 Joe tossed up the bog meadow laps but rain came and spoiled all our work.
July 25 We put up the bog meadows.
July 27-28 Turned the meadow at the house and got it up in ten cocks next day.
July 29 Put up the hay at the back of the bog.
Weds. 31 Yesterday and today the weather is roasting. Hay is going up rapidly everywhere.
AUGUST 1940
Thurs. 1st A great heat wave has set in. Joe, James and three women put up 14 cocks in old park. I was in Ballyconnell and got the gun licence 5/-.
Aug. 2 A roasting day. We put up meadow over at McVenues 6 cocks; meadow at Kate’s house 6 cocks, and two cocks in marl holes. Scott came at 6p.m. to help and asked Joe to cut a meadow next day for Old Dolan. James and I were at Communion.
Aug. 3 Joe had Scott’s meadow cut before breakfast this morning and he and Kev went with the machine and horses and mowed Killywilly meadows. James and Scott finished the cocking of the marl hole meadow and Joe, Kev and I put up 4 cocks on the hill at back of hill garden.
Aug. 4 Changeable looking weather. Willie, Kev and I went after dinner to Paddy Darcy’s for loan of his lawnmower. Spent a while mowing in front of house and finished it next day.
Aug. 5 A good day but not so hot as previous days. Joe, Jem and Kev went to Killywilly, tedded it out and put it up in handshakens. That left all the hay safe.
Aug. 8 Drawing home turf with two carts.
Aug. 17 Cutting the wheat – a good crop.
Aug. 19 Drawing in the hay – first bench filled.
Aug. 21-23 More and more hay safe in the shed.
Aug. 26-30 Reaping the oats harvest – also for Hugh Donohoe.
Aug. 31 Water never so scarce. People carting it for cattle from springs, lakes and rivers.
What’s seldom is wonderful.
God’s in his heaven, all’s right with the world.
The Heery boys of our diary.
Front: Kevin, Pat, Jimmy. Back: Bill, Mick, Joe, Charlie (Derrycassan).
The Heery family, Derrycassan.
Front: Eamon, Shane, Colm, Ciaran. Back: Philomena and Míchael, grandson of the diarist.
The Heery family, Cloneary.
Maura, Kevin with their family Brian, Kathleen, Mary and Kevin.