‘Portable vessell of wicker, ordinarily used by the wild Irish’ by Thomas Phillips c 1685 and Gold boat from First Century BC.

From Peter Harbison’s book, Pilgrimage in Ireland

Traditional farm spade by Scotts of Cork and spadework in olden farms.

Cork antiquarian and businessman Robert Day married one of the Scotts and took over the business.

Scotts of Patrick’s Quay/McCurtain St. Cork supplied a range of garden and farm implements and tools. When the firm burnt down in the 1960s McCurtain St never recovered. It is unclear if the firm had their own spade mill or sub contracted their supply. There was a mill in Monard a few miles outside the city under a Viaduct on the Dublin railway.

The artist and architect Patrick Scott who died recently in his 90s was of this family.

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/discovery-of-primitive-bog-oak-spade-beneath-12-foot-peat-in-farm-of-mr-w-kingston-near-ballydehob-west-cork-1890s-7th-century-king-of-connaught-assailed-by-men-cutting-turf-who-killed-him/

The article from the History of Irish Farming deals with traditional spadework.

Pupils Kealkil National School, West Cork, 1866-1920, and some West Cork schools and teachers 19th century.

Courtesy centenary committee 1909-2009.

Teachers:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqhnQGE3ANjzdERWSjBabjd5RjVuV2J1Nnc4OXFoT0E#gid=0

Schools:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqhnQGE3ANjzdHUwSW9scF9BNmwtWlJoYXZSdmt2eVE#gid=0

Robert Gibbins, survivor Gallipoli, Grandson Robert Day Cork Antiquarian, author ‘Lovely is the Lee’ 1945, on Inchigeela, Gougán Barra, Gold at Snave Bridge and Comhoola with Engravings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gibbings

Robert Day Grandfather:

1st Muskerry Cavalry 1796, Co. Cork from Robert Day F.S.A. Cork Antiquarian from papers lent pre 1895 by George and Morgan Gallwey, Esqs. and Silver Medal of Inchigeela Volunteers, 1784.

Membership lists of Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 1893 and 1945, snapshot of Cork Diaspora in Colonial Legal and Medical Service, and 1945 Gaelicisation of Irish Public Service, 1893 names include Francis Joseph Bigger, Belfast, Robert Day, Cork Antiquarian, Herbert Gillman Cork Historian, Rev. Graves Bishop of Limerick, Historian and Archaeologist, William Baylor Hartland Cork Horticulturist, P W Joyce Dublin Historian, Denny Lane, Cork Businessman writer and Historian, Lieutenant Francis O’Neill, Later Chief O’Neill, Chicago Police, Irish Music Collector, Canon Goodman, Skibbereen, Professor Of Irish TCD and Irish Music Collector…

Observations of Breton traveller Jacques Louise de Bougrenet (De Latocnaye) in West Cork, Bandon, Macroom, Dunmanway ‘The Priest’s Leap’ and Bantry 1796, keening at funerals, Raths and Lises, Hedge Schools, Flax and Mr Cox’s improvements in Dunmanway, 200 French Officers captured in Bantry on parole in Dumnmanway.

He was a Royalist who fled France after the Revolution.

Devotions to Father Bernane, Moulivard, Durrus, 28th June, Holy Well Visitation at Kil-na-Comoge, Kealkil, Lady’s Day 15th August, Pilgrimage to St. Finbarr, Gougán Barra, West Cork, 25th September.

The various practices of rounds, visitation of holy wells, polgrimages probably predate even the coming of the Celts to Ireland. These prctices were customised to particular localities and ofte a Christian saint replaced the olden diety.

Father Bernane:

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2011/11/24/devotions-to-father-barnane-28th-june-moulivard-church-durrus/

Gougán Barra:

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2014/08/14/rounds-of-gougan-barra-west-cork-burial-place-of-st-finbarr-died-623-ad-founder-cork-city-with-hermitage-and-stations-of-the-cross-in-old-irish-place-of-pilgrimage-25th-september-and-memorial/

Kealkil:

Townlands of Kealkil (An Chaol Choill Narrow Wood), West Cork and some others West Cork.

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Kealkill,+Co.+Cork/@51.7497057,-9.3813395,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x48450edc918d50c5:0xa00c7a99731c960

Courtesy Centenary Committee Kealkil National School 1909-2009

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kealkill

Aughadown:

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/aughadown-skibbereen-west-cork-townlands-castles-churches/

Durrus:

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/list-of-durrus-townlands/

Kilcoe, Ballydehob:

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/townlands-of-kilcoe-ballydehob-and-mizen-west-cork/

Kilcrohane:

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/kilcrohane-townlands/

Newgrange. Aligned with the rising sun whose light floods the chamber on the winter solstice. Image Wikimedia Commons

‘One of these days’ is a phrase that trips off many an Irish tongue and whose meaning is clearly understood as being ‘sometime in the near future’. I was not so sure if this is the case across all the English speaking world, so a quick Google came up with the following:”One of these days” is an idiom that behaves as an adverb. It’s basically a drop-in replacement for “someday,” meaning something like “at some unspecified point in the future”. So there we have it!

‘One of these days’ goes around in my head at this time of year for two reasons, both of which are ingrained in my DNA.

Growing up in North Donegal with its dark star-filled skies meant that we were reasonably familiar with celestial goings-on, especially in winter. We…