Sheila Dalton: Family Life; Marriage; Childhood

life_journeys.jpg

Title

Sheila Dalton: Family Life; Marriage; Childhood

Subject

Life History;

Description

Sheila was born and raised on Gurranabraher Avenue. Her father was from the Fail hill area and her mother came from Whitechurch.
Sheila was second youngest in a family of 7 girls and 4 boys. Her father worked in a government building as the lift operator. Sheila describes herself as her father's pet. Her father died when she was 9 years old, after which Sheila feared being put in the Good Shepherd.

She describes her childhood clothing, how most of it came from her aunt in America and that they used to go to school in their bare feet. At school, all the children were treated the same no matter what there economic reality, all children were provided with Cocco and a bun in the morning.

Sheila explains how she or her siblings never had toys growing up and mentions that she received her first toy at the age of 58 from her husband.

She also mentions how a new frock would have been purchased for her communion but would have been taken to the pawnshop on the following Monday and never be seen again. Sheila states that this was quite a common practice at the time. Also, any money that was given to her for her communion by relatives and neighbours would have been taken off her by her mother.

She notes how on an odd occasion she would get a slab of Cleeves toffee and that would last her three days.

Teeth were cleaned by brushing with soot and salt which she says made her teeth clean and strong.

Sheil then describes the games she played as a child and explains how they had a different game depending on what season it was.

Sheila married at 19 to a carpenter. She describes married life and her job as a domestic servant for wealthy families in the city.

She then goes on to describe pregnancy and childbirth in detail.

Sheila finishes the interview by answering various questions comparing modern life to that of her youth.


Date

20 April 1998

Identifier

CFP_SR00154_dalton_1998

Coverage

Ireland; Cork; 1900s

Relation

Published Material:

Hunter, Stephen (1999), Life Journeys: Living Folklore in Ireland Today, Cork: The Northside Folklore Project.

Source

Cork Folklore Project Audio Archive

Rights

Cork Folklore Project

Language

English

Type

Sound

Format

.wav

Interviewee

Interviewer

Duration

46min 44sec

Location

Berehaven Bar, Blackpool, Cork

Original Format

Cassette

Citation

Cork Folklore Project , “Sheila Dalton: Family Life; Marriage; Childhood,” accessed March 29, 2024, https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/document/206.