A terror for getting shawls
Dublin Core
Title
A terror for getting shawls
Subject
Eileen Jones discusses the traditional shawls
Description
The narrator discusses the customs and rules of wearing shawls in her neighbourhood.
Transcript
"Mrs. Lynch who lived over on Bird's Quay, Mrs. Lynch was a terror for getting shawls. You see, if people died, that was the first thing Bridgie would ask. Mrs. Lynch would go to lay them out, you see, she was one of those people who would be called to lay them out, when they'd be dead. 'Twas the first thing she'd ask 'What are you doing with the shawl?,' you see, and she'd get the shawl then like. She had several shawls and she picked the best of them you see, and she'd give away the older one she had then, you know what I mean. If the shawl was better than her own, she'd keep that one and she'd be very grand then, she'd say, like, 'I've a shawl', and she'd give it to someone else who had a shabbier one. She came over one day and she said 'Noreen, I heard you got a new shawl.' So, my mother says 'I did Bridgie,' and she says 'Youre not wearing it.' My mother says, says she 'Because it's too warm'. 'Era, you won't wear that no more,' she said, 'I'm going to a funeral now. Give me a loan of it.' My mother gave her the shawl and never got the shawl back. So that got my mother out of the shawl then because her old one was shabby and we kept saying, 'Mam you couldn't wear that shawl. That shawl is very shabby. They'll be all laughing at you and they'll be saying, "She has two daughters working in the Sunbeam and look how shabby she is in that shawl."' And that's how my mother got out of the shawl."
Transcript
"Mrs. Lynch who lived over on Bird's Quay, Mrs. Lynch was a terror for getting shawls. You see, if people died, that was the first thing Bridgie would ask. Mrs. Lynch would go to lay them out, you see, she was one of those people who would be called to lay them out, when they'd be dead. 'Twas the first thing she'd ask 'What are you doing with the shawl?,' you see, and she'd get the shawl then like. She had several shawls and she picked the best of them you see, and she'd give away the older one she had then, you know what I mean. If the shawl was better than her own, she'd keep that one and she'd be very grand then, she'd say, like, 'I've a shawl', and she'd give it to someone else who had a shabbier one. She came over one day and she said 'Noreen, I heard you got a new shawl.' So, my mother says 'I did Bridgie,' and she says 'Youre not wearing it.' My mother says, says she 'Because it's too warm'. 'Era, you won't wear that no more,' she said, 'I'm going to a funeral now. Give me a loan of it.' My mother gave her the shawl and never got the shawl back. So that got my mother out of the shawl then because her old one was shabby and we kept saying, 'Mam you couldn't wear that shawl. That shawl is very shabby. They'll be all laughing at you and they'll be saying, "She has two daughters working in the Sunbeam and look how shabby she is in that shawl."' And that's how my mother got out of the shawl."
Creator
Cork Folklore Project
Source
CFP_SR00398_jones_2010
Publisher
Cork Folklore Project
Date
27 April 2016
Contributor
Narrator/Interviewee: Eileen Jones
Rights
Copyright Cork Folklore Project
Format
mp3
Language
English
Type
audio
Identifier
CFP_SR00398_jones_2010
Citation
Cork Folklore Project, “A terror for getting shawls,” Cork Memory Map, accessed May 5, 2024, https://corkfolklore.org/cmm/items/show/55.