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Quin -The Town I loved so much 

Main Street, Quin, 1960. Corbett’s shop is on the right below Power’s pub

Back in time (approx. 60 odd years ago ) I was able to help out in the shop filling paper  bags and waxed cartons – we had to fill everything manually as everything came to us in timber boxes or in canvas bags (there was no such thing as getting things pre-packed). Sugar came in 8st bags, as did flour (1cwt bags); tea came in wooden boxes known as a tea-chests and fruit in 4st boxes. When I say fruit, of course I am thinking of raisins, sultanas, currants and mixed peel, all of which went into the making of the Christmas cake and plum pudding. We all helped to fill the bags and my Dad would weigh it out and fold and tie it with a string.

We got Christmas candles in red and white which were 2ft long. These were lit in the windows of every house over the Christmas season. Mother (Fanny) and Dad (Patrick), my older sisters and I would all be helping after tea (supper) till bed time, which might be 10:30 or even 11 o’clock. Yes, it was a very busy time for a few weeks beforehand. It was a normal thing for all householders to stock up, so that families would have full and plenty at home to get over this period.
It was also the custom at our shop to give out presents to our customers. That varied from boxes of chocolates, Gateaux Christmas cake, sometimes even hampers (depending on the circumstances) and even in some cases toys for children (to help with Santa).  It was a busy time from morning till late night for everyone, but it was different times back then. Families didn’t have a lot of money but Christmas was still an exciting time for everyone. Oh how the whole world has changed!

When Frank Gordon (our school master) was launching Quin Tidy Towns, funds were in need. He started up a group of carollers and we all set off ( 5 or 6 carloads of singers) to villages like Scarriff , Sixmilebridge, Newmarket, Shannon and many others – too many to go down on  the list. We were singing carols up and down the streets, knocking on doors and going into pubs a few nights a week for about three or fourweeks before Christmas. We raised heaps of money every night, as the choir was brilliant and we all loved it. Three or four weeks before Christmas there was a huge tree always erected in front of the hall with many helpers. It was illuminated every night and was another highlight of Christmas.

Of course it didn’t stop there, as we also went out on St. Stephen’s Day in the Wren boys to do the villages. We did what pubs we could get to before closing time.  (Oh what fun – boys and girls singing and dancing, men and woman playing the music. What craic and sport that was!)

Needless to add Quin Hall was in full swing with dances every week. I have to mention that we were so lucky to have managers of the hall back then like Bobby Clune, Tom O’ Halloran, Shamus Reddan and others. They brought very good bands each week and the place used to be packed. I must add we did not have any dances during LENT (it was not allowed as it was a SIN  back in those days) but I also have to say that didn’t stop some of us. We went to Gort, The Jetland, Ennis and Sixmilebridge. We were dance-mad back then.

Good memories all!

Pat Corbett.

Perth, Australia.

December 2022

Con O’ Sullivan (boy), Michael Reynolds, Pat Corbett, Dan (Cider) Clune, Mrs. O’ Brien, Paddy (the Yank) Clune, Michael Corbett (Kildrum) and John Guerin.

 

 

 

Seán na Gealaí

Halloween is the direct descendent of Samhain. It was the night when the gap between this world and the spirit world narrowed.  Known as Oiche Shamhna or ‘spirit night’, the souls of the dead were expected to return to the family home. The Church introduced the Feast of All Saints (Nov1) and the Feast of All Souls (Nov 2nd) to counter Samhain. Evil spirits were also thought to be abroad and people avoided travelling alone on this night.

   “Deireann na daoine go mbíonn sidheogaí amuigh oidhche Shamhna”, Schools’ Collection (NFCS 249).

Origins of Samhain

Contender 1- Tulsk, County Roscommon

Oweynagat Cave, Uaimh na gCat, meaning the ‘Cave of the Cats’ in Rath Croaghan. The Book of Leinster names it as dorus iffrin na Hérend – Ireland’s Gateway to Hell. Demons and all kinds of creatures emerge from here on Oiche Shamhna.

 Echtra Nerai (the Adventures of Nera) is first mentioned in the 10th century Cath Maige Mucrama story,  happening at Samhain.

Oweynagat Cave is also said to be the home of the Morrigan. She is portrayed as a goddess of battle and war, with the power to transform into crows or ravens. Her dreaded cry was frequently heard over battlefields.

Echtra Nerai, the Adventures of Nera

An Irish text taken from the Ulster Cycle, dating to the tenth century entitled ‘Nera and the Dead Man’, tells of the warrior Nera who accepts a dare during a dark and stormy Samhain night to tie a withy around the ankle of a hanging dead man. As he does so, the corpse suddenly comes to life and asks Nera to carry him on his back. Nera complies. After some adventures Nera gets the dead man back to his tree. All of this takes place at Samhain at Rath Croaghan/Cruachan, hence its association with Halloween.

Contender 2 – Tlachtga, Meath

The original Tlachtga was a druidess of considerable power and importance, the daughter of Mug Ruith who lived on Valentia Island in Kerry. He is said to have lived through the reign of nineteen kings, with his lifespan stretching back to the time of Christ on earth. Tlachtga and her father could travel the world on the Rath, a fabulous spinning wheel of fire that easily transported them. Mug Ruith sought out knowledge and learning like few before him and it was in this manner that he and Tlachtga travelled to study under Simon Magus (Simon the Sorcerer), who is mentioned in the Bible.

Simon Magus and Mug Ruith sent Tlachtga out into the world to gather as much knowledge as she could find. Upon her return they realized that her knowledge far surpassed their own!
They were outraged and such was their jealousy that they set the three sons of Simon Magus upon Tlachtga, who defiled her. She returned to Ireland where she gave birth to three sons, Dorb (Doirb), Cuma (Cumma) and Muach.

It was on the hill of Ward in county Meath that Tlachtga brought her three sons into the world, and it was there that she died, unable to sustain her life in the face of the utter grief and despair she felt at the indignity she had endured.

In recent years a renewal of the annual gathering on the hill of Ward now attracts hundreds of people at Halloween. A walk from Athboy up towards the Hill itself culminates with a celebration, with elaborate ceremonies and an acknowledgement of the cultural gift to Ireland and the world that Tlachtga represents.

In the ancient kingdom of Mide, Tlachtga was considered an important assembly place alongside Tara, Teiltun and Uisneach. These four ‘corners’ are recorded as having been the location of fortresses constructed by high king Tuathal Techmar at the foundation of Mide in the early decades of the first millennium AD.

‘Much of the (archaeological) evidence points towards a long history of ritual activity. Large quantities of animal bones – a sign of large scale feasting have been found throughout all phases of the site. The lack of evidence of any residential or day to day activity strengthens the idea that it most likely it was set aside purely for ritual or celebratory activity.

There have been finds in all three phases of the site, including scattered Bronze Age human remains and the skeleton of an infant between seven and ten months old… The child burial, next to a ritual deposit of cow bones, dates to AD 450 – around the time of the arrival of Christianity.

“The child was clearly buried with care and having not found any evidence of burials on the site, we’d have to guess that This child belonged to someone significant”.

Harvest knots and Guises

 

 

Homemade masks made by village boys calling to local houses on Oiche Shamhna

Outdoors

Unlike May when the fairies are active, November Eve brings malevolent spirits. It is the night for community bonfires, especially in housing estates in the cities and towns. Collecting the last handful of fruit and nuts.

Indoors

Families would attempt to have a celebratory supper on Oiche Shamhna. Family supper might be colcannon or pandy. They would first secure the house by sprinkling Holy Water and possibly placing a religious object in the thatch near the front door.

Typical Samhain Food included pancakes, stampy (a potato and apple cake, crusted with barley, enhanced with sea spinach and rock samphire & cooked with oil) apple cakes, nuts, blackberry pies.

An bairín breac/the barmbrack or the ‘speckled loaf’, containing oodles of dried autumn fruits is still a favourite treat, with lashings of butter.

Tokens inside the traditional loaf included the ring as a symbol of love and marriage,  a thimble (spinsterhood); a button (bachelorhood); a stick (to be beaten by the spouse); a rag (poverty); a coin (wealth) and a crucifix (the taking of religious orders).

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