By Megan McAuley ‘I recall the hiring fair in Letterkenny, when the small farmers’ sons and daughters were forced to offer themselves for auction to the ranchers in the Lagan Valley. They stood on the footpaths, had their muscles examined by the big farmers, and eventually were hired to them for a few paltry pounds… Continue reading ‘A sadder sight it would be impossible to witness’: Criticism of the hiring fair and child labour in County Donegal in the early twentieth century.
Tag: history
When We Were Kings and Queens of the Road: Frank McDonald
Cycling to School through Droves of Cattle and Sheep As the first son of William and Maura McDonald, I grew up in Glenmore Road, a little cul-de-sac between Old Cabra Road and Blackhorse Avenue in what came to be known as Dublin 7. The house had been built in 1948, the year of my parents’… Continue reading When We Were Kings and Queens of the Road: Frank McDonald
When We Were Kings and Queens of the Road: Robert Burns
Three o’clock and school was over. We slid out from behind our old wooden desks, the ones with the sloping desktop and the old inkwell holders, and darted out the door, making a beeline for the old shed where our bikes were stored. It was early June and at 10 years old I was in… Continue reading When We Were Kings and Queens of the Road: Robert Burns
When We Were Kings and Queens of the Road: Introduction
A “Travel to School” project by Robert Burns and the Museum of Childhood Ireland We are thrilled to introduce our newest project. This new and exciting campaign is the concept of Robert Burns. Robert is a civil engineer and director of Fingal County Council. He grew up in the Monaghan countryside in the 70s and… Continue reading When We Were Kings and Queens of the Road: Introduction