Bailiúchán Béaloidis Árann

BBAF.00032

Recording
BBAF.00032
Format
MiniDisc
Duration
21:45
Date
29 January 2002
Languages
English
Irish
Location
Cill Rónáin
Collector
Áine Pheaits Bheairtlín Uí Fhlaithearta
Informant
Margaret Gill
Archival information
MD 39 Margaret Gill. Imirce; Turas go Meiriceá; Fear Céile; Clann; Saol in Árainn.
Additional information
MD 39 Margaret Gill. Emigration; Trip to America; Husband; Family; Life in Aran.
Archival Reference
Bailiúchán Béaloidis Árann, BBAF.00032
Recording & metadata © Bailiúchán Béaloidis Árann.
See copyright details.

Transcript

ÁINE: Inniu an 29ú lá go Eanáir sa mbliain 2002. Tá mé anseo inniu in éineacht le Margaret Gill agus tá sí tar éis a bheith a’ ceiliúradh céad bliain. Margaret cén lá a bhí do bhreithlá a’d?

MARGARET: When was the birthday? Three weeks ago.

MICHEÁL: [Mac Margaret] An dara lá déag.

ÁINE: On the 12th of January is it?

MARGARET: Yes.

ÁINE: And did you have a good day?

MARGARET: Very good.

ÁINE: And did everybody come to visit you?

MARGARET: Oh up to a hundred I believe.

ÁINE: Oh yeah, did you have Mass in the house?

MARGARET: We did.

ÁINE: So you had a good day.

MARGARET: We did.

ÁINE: M hm. Now, cén áit a rugadh thú?

MARGARET: Na Forbacha.

ÁINE: Agus cérbh as do athair agus do mháthair?

MARGARET: As a’ Spidéal mo mháthair agus m’athair as na Forbacha.

ÁINE: Ab ea? Agus cé mhéad deartháir agus dreabhar a bhí a’d?

MARGARET: Well I was the oldest of “__+” I think [go leor torann ar an ngléas taifeadta. Bhí aon dhuine dhéag acu sa chlann: Julia, Delia, Sr. Brendan, Tim, Tom, Paddy, Máirtín, Michael, Tony]

ÁINE: By dad, so you had a big family.

MARGARET: A big family.

ÁINE: M hm. A’ gcuimhníonn tú cén t-am a chuaigh tú go Meiriceá?

MARGARET: Cuimhním.

ÁINE: Cén bhliain?

MARGARET: Níl ’fhios a’m cén bhliain é ach bhí mé twenty three an t-am sin.

ÁINE: A’ raibh? By dad “__+” ….

MICHEÁL: Nó twenty five ab ea?

MARGARET: D’fhág mé an baile ar side car. Ní raibh aon eh ….

MICHEÁL: …. Tá sé seo interesting….

MARGARET: …. carranaí ann an t-am sin ach dhá mhotor car, ceann ag Doctor Sands agus ceann ag Doctor Mirus, Morris.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: Agus fear ’s bean as Bearna a thug isteach go Gaillimh mé agus bhí an, na daoine óga a’ caoineadh i mo dhiaidh nuair a bhí mé ag imeacht.

ÁINE: A’ raibh party agaibh sa teach?

MARGARET: Ní raibh. Ar maidin a bhí mé ag imeacht, tuairm ’s ag a seacht a chlog.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: Yeah.

ÁINE: Cén áit a d’imigh an bád as? You went on a liner to America. Do you remember if you went from Dublin or Cork?

MARGARET: No, we went direct from Furbo.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: On a side car into Galway.

ÁINE: To Galway, aww yeah.

MARGARET: Yes.

ÁINE: Did you go on your own?

MARGARET: I went on my own and I met friends that were going to the same place like. I met a girl from Cork and a girl from Mayo.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: And we got to be friends.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: But we were ten days at sea.

ÁINE: Were ye?

MARGARET: And when I was out a while I got sick and there was a man came to see me and we weren’t supposed to talk to anyone and he asked me how I was feeling and I told him so he told me he’d bring me some sea biscuits and a cup of tea and do you know it cured me.

ÁINE: Ohh!

MARGARET: The “__” he said he knew my father.

ÁINE: Really.

MARGARET: And that eh, he asked me had my father the white horse all the time and I said he did when I left home and I was only gone that time a couple of days.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: So that’s about all I did

ÁINE: And do you remember the name of the boat?

MARGARET: The Carmania.

ÁINE: And was any of your sisters or brothers in America before you?

MARGARET: No. I had six or seven first cousins and they all greeted me at San Francisco.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: And that time in Ireland we were wearing the long coats like.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: So when I got out they dressed me in the latest.

ÁINE: I bet you looked lovely.

[Micheál laughs in the background]

MARGARET: I don’t know, I didn’t feel happy in it because the skirt was very long, I nearly tore it. (laughs)

ÁINE: (Laughs)

MARGARET: Trying to keep it on me.

ÁINE: And ehm, how did you feel about America?

MARGARET: Ha?

ÁINE: Did it seem strange to you compared to, to eh the Furbo?

MARGARET: Oh of course it was.

ÁINE: Hm.

MARGARET: It was a nice place, San Francisco.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: And I got a job working in a, doing housework you know.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: Helping with the cooking and things like that, and there was a little girl there and I used to bring her out to The Golden Gate park.

ÁINE: Oh lovely.

MARGARET: So that’s how I was earning the money.

ÁINE: And did you get a lot of money doing this job or?

MARGARET: Twenty three, I was about that time

ÁINE: Aww yeah, I see, yeah. Now and did you meet your husband in America?

MARGARET: I did.

ÁINE: And whereabouts in America did you meet him?

MARGARET: In San Francisco.

ÁINE: Oh yeah. And did you meet him on the Golden Gate bridge or?

MARGARET: No, no. He had something to do with the Connacht football and they were giving a party and he wanted me to go with him, so I did.

(Micheál laughing in the background)

ÁINE: Wasn’t he lucky.

MARGARET: So (laughs), so that started the romance.

ÁINE: Yeah (laughs). So did you get married in America?

MARGARET: I did, I got married in the Star of the Sea.

ÁINE: Oh.

MARGARET: Church.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: And the priest that married us was Monsignor Ryan. He was from Galway.

ÁINE: Oh! And did you know any islanders, anybody from this island in San Francisco?

MARGARET: Sure several cousins.

ÁINE: Aw yeah.

MICHEÁL: Nach raibh daoiní eile i San Francisco, as an áit seo, nach raibh? Bhí go leor, Maidhcil John McDonagh agus Colm Ruairí Beag ….

MARGARET: …. Á yes, Colm Ruairí Beag as Inis Meáin ….

MICHEÁL: …. agus dreabhar Maidhcí Joyce, nach raibh. “__” le Maidhcí Joyce ann nach raibh.

MARGARET: Yeah.

MICHEÁL: Yeah. “___+?

ÁINE: M hm. Agus cén bhliain a phós tú i Meiriceá? Do you remember the year?

MARGARET: I don’t remember the year. We were three years going together anyway.

ÁINE: Oh, that was a long time then.

(Micheál laughs in the background)

MARGARET: Yeah, that time so, we were every day getting married by the way but eventually ….

MICHEÁL: …. “___+”

ÁINE: Cén bhliain a cheapanns tú a phós siad a Mhicheál?

MICHEÁL: Is dóigh gur nineteen twenty eight nó twenty nine.

ÁINE: Á yeah. And what was Pete working at in America?

MARGARET: He was working for the, where they make cans.

MICHEÁL: The American Can Company.

ÁINE: Cén t-ainm a bhí orthub

MICHEÁL: The American Can Company

ÁINE: Ó ab ea ?

MICHEÁL: Sea.

ÁINE: Agus a’ raibh sé i bhfad i Meiriceá?

MICHEÁL: Cé mhéad bliain a bhí sibh ann? Bhí sibh ocht mbliana ab ea? (Micheál ag caint le na mháthair)

MARGARET: He was only out a couple of years before me.

ÁINE: Oh is that it, yeah. And what about your sisters and brothers, did any of them go to visit you in the States?

MARGARET: Julie went, she was out five or six years.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: So when we were coming back he came back with us.

ÁINE: Aww did she [he], yeah.

MARGARET: Yeah.

ÁINE: And ehm did your brothers, were they on the Tug of War team?

MARGARET: They were.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: Three of them. They always won the Tug of War thing.

ÁINE: Did they, aww yeah. And so did they play for Galway, is it, or?

MICHEÁL: Team Bearna “___+”

MARGARET: Well you know they there, eh the different places like.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: Like, they played for Glenamaddy.

ÁINE: Oh did they?

MARGARET: And they won, three of my brothers.

ÁINE: That was very good.

MARGARET: Tim and Tom and Martin.

ÁINE: They must have been strong men.

MARGARET: They were, they were all six foot.

ÁINE: Were they? So what about your sister, didn’t you have a sister a nun?

MARGARET: Yes.

ÁINE: Did she stay in Ireland or?

MARGARET: She stayed in Ireland, she was teaching in Dublin.

ÁINE: Aww yeah.

MARGARET: In Mount Sackville Convent.

ÁINE: Hm.

MARGARET: And eh, she died a couple of years ago.

ÁINE: M hm. And did you go to visit her?

MARGARET: Oh I used to go to visit her every year.

ÁINE: In Dublin?

MARGARET: And she used to come down here herself.

ÁINE: M hm. Now, did you speak Irish or English in, in San Francisco?

MARGARET: If we were talking now from where we worked like that we wouldn’t want them to know what we were talking about we’d talk Irish.

(Áine and Micheál laugh)

ÁINE: Aww by dad, yeah.

MARGARET: They were breaking their sides laughing then, they thought it was, they didn’t know what it was.

ÁINE: Yeah and did Pete and yourself speak English? (Clock chiming in background)

MARGARET: Oh yes, perfect English.

ÁINE: Yeah, all the time, yeah.

MARGARET: They were very good to me, you know and it helped me you know along.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: I used to go to the Golden Gate “__”+

ÁINE: And did you walk the Golden Gate bridge?

MARGARET: Yes.

ÁINE: You did, yeah, and that’s a long walk.

MARGARET: Well eh, the, the little girl had a go cart like, a little go cart that she ….

ÁINE: …. Aww ….

MARGARET: …. Used to wheel out.

ÁINE: And did you enjoy looking after the children in San Francisco?

MARGARET: I did, she was a eh, she’d be about four or five and the little boy he was only two.

ÁINE: M hm. So when you went into Galway on your way to America, did you have to go to a travel agency in Galway, for Kate Fahy or Maggie Ann Nash

MARGARET: Oh yes.

ÁINE: Yeah, and would you like to tell me about Maggie Ann Nash?

MARGARET: (Laughs) I didn’t know much about her but that she had a kind of a shop there in, I don’t know, is it Main Street.

ÁINE: M hm. And did you get your ticket there?

MARGARET: Oh no, I had the ticket going.

ÁINE: M hm, and did somebody send the ticket over to you?

MARGARET: No. (pause) We paid the passage ourself.

ÁINE: Oh yeah.

MARGARET: Well I had one cousin, he sent me, he was ehm, we, we adopted him.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: When his parents died.

ÁINE: Aw I see.

MARGARET: And then he had no trouble going to America. He was an American citizen and after that he sent me my (--) I didn’t tell them I was going to America and they didn’t like it.

ÁINE: Aw, your parents?

MARGARET: Yeah. So we got ready to go and I went and I was very lonesome going.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: There was an old man in the village and you’d hear him all over the place crying after me.

ÁINE: Hm.

MARGARET: It was very sad that time.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: Yeah. (Pause) So that’s the way.

ÁINE: And did you write home?

MARGARET: Oh yes, I wrote a card from Queenstown.

ÁINE: Oh.

MICHEÁL: Cobh (In background)

MARGARET: And when I landed in San Francisco there was snow all over every place so when I got out on the platform I (laugh) fell in the snow.

ÁINE: (Laugh)

MARGARET: Because I wasn’t used to it.

ÁINE: Yeah of course, yeah.

MARGARET: Yeah and then in San Francisco the sun was shining.

ÁINE: It’s a lovely city.

MARGARET: Oh it is.

ÁINE: And did you ever go back to San Francisco?

MARGARET: No.

ÁINE: Would you have liked to?

MARGARET: Ah muise I don’t think so, when you settle down and have a family you’re, it’s different.

ÁINE: Yeah. And when you were growing up in Furbo, did you have running water in the house at the time?

MICHEÁL: (In background) No.

ÁINE: No, yeah and eh, were any of your children born in America?

MARGARET: Two children I had in America, Kathleen and Paddy and Micheál was born here.

MICHEÁL: Nach tráthiúil

ÁINE: And was it difficult having children in San Francisco at the time, was it ….?

MARGARET: …. Well, you get every care.

ÁINE: Hm.

MARGARET: And in San Francisco that time when they were born, after they were born, the mothers wouldn’t be let out on the floor to walk for nine days.

ÁINE: No.

MARGARET: And now they’re put out “__+”

MICHEÁL: (Laughs)

ÁINE: They are, thrown out right away.

MARGARET: Yeah.

ÁINE: So eh when you decided to come home, to come home to the island here.

MARGARET: Yeah.

ÁINE: Do you remember which boat you came home on, did you come to Cork or to Dublin or did you fly over?

MARGARET: No, we didn’t fly. The Carmania I went back on and I forget now the name of the other one.

ÁINE: M hm, yeah. So which boat did you come on the island, was it kind of the Dun Aonghus was it?

(Micheál talking in the background.)

MARGARET: Oh yes.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: Oh she was an old boat too.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MICHEÁL: A good boat “__+”

MARGARET: She went ashore, I was on her that day (laughs) [1947]

ÁINE: In Inishmaan is it?

MARGARET: Yes, in Inishmaan.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: I was very at the time (laughs) ’cos two men said “fainic go dtitfeadh sí sin, tá sí trom” (laughs)

ÁINE: (Laughs)

MARGARET: Yeah and Máire Powell and Bríd a’ Bhráthair were on the boat the same day.

ÁINE: Hm.

MARGARET: And they were very shook after it. I don’t think they ever

ÁINE: Was it a bad day?

MICHEÁL: No.

MARGARET: No, something happened in the, in the engine house or whatever they call it.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: And there was cattle on board and the poor cattle going out in the sea.

ÁINE: Yeah, that was tough.

MARGARET: It was.

ÁINE: So did you have to stay in Inishmaan for a few nights?

MARGARET: No, Peaits Beag and who’s this other fella brought me over ….

MICHEÁL: Paitín Thomáis ….

MARGARET: …. in a currach again.

ÁINE: Oh dear.

MARGARET: And I was frightened to death.

MICHEÁL: “____+”

ÁINE: (Laughs)

MARGARET: I was drenched wet when I came home.

ÁINE: Hm, hm you were happy to be home.

MARGARET: I was glad to be home again.

ÁINE: Hm, yeah, and did you lose any of your cargo, you know the stuff you had bought in Galway ….?

MARGARET: Well Micheál was making his first communion

MICHEÁL: Bhí a mhaisce

MARGARET: And I had a few bracks and I had them in “__” over the little party

ÁINE: Yeah

MARGARET: And I couldn’t find them (laughs)

(Micheál laughs in background)

ÁINE: Aw dear.

MARGARET: They were lost.

ÁINE: You were happy to be safe at home.

MARGARET: Well I was happy to be landed back again.

ÁINE: M hm. Do you remember when you came to the island first?

MARGARET: I do.

ÁINE: Who was down on the pier to meet you?

MARGARET: Pete’s brother and friends like and eh ….

ÁINE: …. And did you walk up from the pier?

MARGARET: We did.

ÁINE: You did.

MARGARET: It was a short walk you know.

ÁINE: Was it, yeah, but what about all your cargo?

MARGARET: Paddy was three at the time and Kathleen was only eight months.

ÁINE: M hm. Now what did you think of the island when you came home?

MARGARET: Well eh I settled down very well like. And I had the two children like bringing them out walking every day and we started a shop.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: So Pete was home in the shop every day and I was out with the kids.

ÁINE: Aww yeah. Where did you live first when you came to the island, did you live in this house?

MICHEÁL: (In background) No.

MARGARET: No. This house was, (--) Opposite the Tech there.

ÁINE: Oh.

MARGARET: Doctor O’ Brien had a house for “__” you see

(Micheál talking in the background)

ÁINE: Oh.

MARGARET: And we were there a couple of years.

ÁINE: And how did you decide to start up a shop?

MARGARET: Well just for something to do, to make a living.

ÁINE: And was it very hard to get money to start up a shop then?

MARGARET: Well no, we got all our stuff from McCambridge.

MICHEÁL: Sé McCambridge, a chuir, a chuir ina chloigeann é an chéad lá riamh. Tá sé ann i gcónaí McCambridge.

ÁINE: Aww.

MARGARET: They gave us the stuff until we had it sold like.

ÁINE: Oh that was good.

MARGARET: So that way things weren’t too bad.

ÁINE: And what did you sell in the shop at the time?

MARGARET: We were selling eh men’s grey shirts ….

ÁINE: …. Aww ….

MARGARET: …. You wouldn’t see them at all now.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: And caps and tea and sugar and butter and

ÁINE: And the oil, I suppose.

MARGARET: Household goods like.

MICHEÁL: Flour, bran.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: So we got on really.

ÁINE: And were ye opened every day?

MARGARET: Oh every day.

ÁINE: And what time did you open in the morning, would you open at nine o’clock or ten o’clock or when somebody came in, is it?

(Micheál talking in the background)

MARGARET: If anyone came, we’d open sure you know

ÁINE: And if somebody came late at night, would you let them in or would you ….

MARGARET: …. Oh we would, we, you know, we’d know them.

ÁINE: Yeah. Was there many shops on the island at the time?

MARGARET: Oh there was quite a few. I’ll tell you now, they had a shop in Oughill and they had a shop in Gortnagopple.

ÁINE: And who had the shop in Gortnagopple?

MARGARET: Eh, Fitzpatrick, Nainín Fitz we used to call her.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: And eh Micil Tom Burkes crowd had a shop.

MICHEÁL: That’s right.

ÁINE: M hm.

MICHEÁL: Una Jaimsie.

MARGARET: And Una Jaimsie had a [shop], you know, small shops.

ÁINE: Yeah, yeah. So would they come over to Kilronan to shop then?

MARGARET: Oh no, they had their own shops.

ÁINE: They had their own shops, yeah, yeah. So did you have to go to the well to get water?

MARGARET: We would.

ÁINE: And which well did you go to?

MARGARET: There was a pump up, up the village a bit.

ÁINE: Aww.

MARGARET: Opposite Joe Wattys there.

ÁINE: Aww.

MICHEÁL: Opposite Joe Wattys, sin é an áit a bhí sé.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: We used to call it the pump.

ÁINE: Oh I see.

MARGARET: But Pete used to bring down us a supply for the day.

ÁINE: Oh yeah.

MARGARET: You know, you’d have to pump it yourself.

ÁINE: Yeah. So it was near enough to you then.

MARGARET: It was.

ÁINE: It was, it was handy enough.

MARGARET: So I’m still in Aran.

ÁINE: You’re still in Aran

MICHEÁL: (Laughs)

ÁINE: I think we’ll keep you now too.

MICHEÁL: (Laughs)

ÁINE: (Laughs) We won’t let you go now, I think.

(Pause) Yeah, so Micheál was born at home, or was he born in the hospital.

MICHEÁL: Micheál?

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: Micheál was born upstairs here (Laughs)

MICHEÁL: Thuas ar deic.

MARGARET: He weighed eleven pounds.

ÁINE: Bail ó Dhia air (laughs)

MICHEÁL: Níor chaill sé ariamh é.

ÁINE: (Laughs) And who was there with you, was there any woman from the island to help you?

MARGARET: Eh, John, John Gill’s wife.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: We had a nurse there, nurse Joyce, but she had, she got sick or something.

ÁINE: Hm.

MARGARET: And Dr. O’Brien hurt his arm and he was a wonderful maternity nurse, man.

ÁINE: Was he, yeah?

MARGARET: He’d take the pain off you if he could.

ÁINE: Oh that was good. But was it very different to having your kids born in San Francisco? You had a lot of care in San Francisco.

MARGARET: Aw sure you had every care there, there was someone to do everything for you.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: You got lovely meals and everything.

ÁINE: So did you ever work down in the shore?

MARGARET: Oh I used to help, yeah.

ÁINE: Is there anything else now you’d like to tell me. Have you any other little story to tell me.

MARGARET: That’s about all now I think.

ÁINE: But sure you’re very good for thinking of all that. Now I heard somebody saying that you used to bake wedding cakes.

MARGARET: I did. I made several wedding cakes.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: May Nan Gills down here, I made hers.

ÁINE: Yeah.

MARGARET: Jackie [Gill] and Margarets.

ÁINE: Fair play to you.

MARGARET: And eh Mary, Mary Hernon what they call Mary, she was married to John Conneely.

ÁINE: Aww yeah.

MARGARET: I made hers.

MICHEÁL: Mary, Mary eh

ÁINE: Mary Delia Toole is it?

MICHEÁL: Mary Delia Toole.

MARGARET: Yeah.

ÁINE: So did you like baking?

MICHEÁL: Ellie Gill.

MARGARET: I did as long as they turned out alright.

ÁINE: Yeah. And did you make the wedding cake for Ellie Gill too?

MARGARET: I did.

ÁINE: Yeah, and did you go to her wedding?

MARGARET: I didn’t go to her wedding, I was sick at the time or something.

ÁINE: Yeah, but did women go to weddings at that time or did they stay at home and the men went off partying?

(Micheál laughing in background)

The women stayed at home, did they, to mind the children?

MARGARET: We, I went to the weddings but I forget about that.

ÁINE: Hm.

MARGARET: Oh no, (laughs) I was dancing a set with who is this fella at all, no more than myself he wasn’t very lively so (Laughs)

ÁINE: (Laughs) Did you go to the ceilis?

MARGARET: Now and again, you know.

ÁINE: M hm.

MARGARET: Aw the women hadn’t the freedom that time they have now, you know.

ÁINE: Oh sure, they didn’t, they were kept at home.

MICHEÁL: (Laughs)

MARGARET: They had to do the homework and everything.

ÁINE: Ok now, a little bit about your wedding dress. You have a nice wedding dress.

MARGARET: Oh, my wedding dress took first price in Dublin in the ladies, old ladies parade and what did we get, six hundred pounds or something

MICHEÁL: Paddy’s daughter took a picture of it.

ÁINE: Oh my

MARGARET: I have it in the picture there.

ÁINE: Yeah, I’ll take a picture of that now in a minute. So thank you very much Margaret and God bless you. Thanks a million, bye now. [ Picture of Margaret’s wedding in Griangraif/Daoine]

MARGARET: Thanks.

Transcriber
Bairbre Uí Chonaill
More information about transcription notation.