'He said he had seen her and she was wearing something light. They all had a good laugh over that'

'He said he had seen her and she was wearing something light. They all had a good laugh over that'

Margaret describes her father's character and his love of poetry and folklore.

Margaret McLoughlin

Trinity College Dublin

1947

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Margaret McLoughlin

Childhood and Early Life

Life Story

Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin

1950s

Daddy loved books and music and hearing of faraway places. I think at one stage when he was young there was a band in Dromahair because he was learning the flute. He knew all the notes and he was forever saying it was the most wonderful instrument. He loved poetry and could recite the poem about St Kevin of Glendalough. Also he would tell us the story of Lucy Grey. We were all reduced to tears with that one as it was all about a little girl who got lost in the snow. Another song was 'I'm sitting on the style Mary'. Caorline Lord rest her loved to sing that song. Felicity was asking me about it as obviously Caorline sang it to them. He told us about the Clhieftains O'Rourke's Princes of Breffiney who had a Banqueting Hall on the banks of the river Bonet. The song 'The Valley lay smiling before me'. I thought it was just folklore but her elopement with the Diarmuid Mc Morrough triggered off the Norman invasion of Ireland. He was interested in everything up to his death Thank God. He had Ashtma all his life but was only once in Hospital. When he came home he was telling me he was ready then if the Lord had taken him. He was always quoting what the Lord said to the good thief. Heaven to him was a place of many Mansions. He also had a great love of nature and the environment. When we children were fighting in bed he would quote his favourite saying 'little birds in their nest agree'. He had one story to tell and I think every child that came into our house was told it ' Jack and the Beanstalk ' we never tired of hearing it. I don't ever remember him saying anything bad about any one. Mind you he got great enjoyment from all the characters that came around the village. Mrs White lived at the lake and were very wealthy. She had three daughters one of whom was in the war. Her boat was torpedoed and she was thrown into the sea. She clung for hours to a piece of wood until eventually she was rescued. I think it affected her. One day she walked up the main street not a stitch on her. It caused quite a stir. Eventually the sergeant took her in until the mother came. Mammy went down to the workshop to ask Daddy if he had seen her and asked her what she was wearing. He said he had seen her and she was wearing something light. They all had a good laugh over that.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)