'It always seemed to be beautiful and sunny with the perfume of stock through the air. We would come home with loads of produce from their garden'

'It always seemed to be beautiful and sunny with the perfume of stock through the air. We would come home with loads of produce from their garden'

Margaret remembers visiting her relatives in summertime.

Margaret McLoughlin

Trinity College Dublin

1943

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Margaret McLoughlin

Childhood and Early Life

Life Story

Dublin

1980s

Relations on my father's side were the Mc Namara's . They lived about four miles outside. My earliest recollection of them visiting us was when they came on a big side car and when the visit was over they had lanterns which had to be lit - I suppose it was candlelight, and they had huge rugs which they wrapped around them. When we in turn visited them ( I think we used to hire a hackney Mc Connell or Frankie Oates) on arrival we would take a walk through their garden and orchard. It always seemed to be beautiful and sunny with the perfume of stock through the air. We would come home with loads of produce from their garden. When I got older myself and Vera would cycle up to Sissie's and she would always make tea in the parlour for us. We would have a fresh egg (maybe a duck egg if we wanted) and lovely homemade bread and her own butter. I loved visiting as they would take down the old gramophone 'His Masters Voice' and they would play all their records which were made by groups of Irish in the States. I learned quite a few songs from them. Mike and Sissie were lovely people God rest their souls who I'm sure must have had loads of chores to do but the always had time to entertain us.

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

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)