Interview with John Tom Kaighin speaking Manx Gaelic
Audio Player:
Date(s): between 1951 and 1953
Creator(s): Manx Society
Scope & Content: A Manx Society recording of John Thom Kaighin interviewed by J. W. Radcliffe and Walter Clarke, the tape was made to record his Manx rather than for content. He begins by talking about how many people used to speak Manx; he tells a story about going to Parson Qualtrough's school and Deemster Lamothe; how there were many weavers and looms and he mentions a man called Thommy Leece; how they also went to the fishing at Kinsale; how they earned twenty pounds for three months at the fishing; how he himself did long line fishing; how they salted the fish to keep it for the winter. He also talks about working on the hills; talks about turnip and potato crops; talks at some length about cutting peat and mentions Cain ny Perraghyn and Perree Bane and how people are too lazy to cut peat now; talks about moving sheep to the mountain, the price of lambs and sheep and the land being given to the Scots and how the mountain was fenced in; talks about English incomers; talks about green geese; talks about diet and preservation of meat; interviewer asks about drinking alcohol. There were farmers who would drink all day and neglect the farming; there’d be a house full and the wife would have to sell everything in the house; talks about ploughing with horses; the decline of farming and the fishing industry; talks about the rise of commerce and house-building in island; bank failures; more talk about sheep and mention of Joe the Cutter who had a thatched cottage at Ballagoole with peat all around it; talks about salting fish; talks about boat-buildiing at Mooiragh; noise interference on recording makes it impossible to hear what is said; and they mention 300 boats in Peel Harbour that you could walk across.
[The sound recording can be difficult to listen as the speed of the original recording increases.]
Language: Manx Gaelic
Extent: 31 min. 24 sec.
Item name: magnetic recording tape
Collection: Sound Archive
Level: ITEM
ID number: SA 0018
Access conditions: All reasonable attempt has been made by Manx National Heritage to trace and request permission (where needed) from the copyright holder(s) in this sound recording. If however you think you are a rights holder then please contact Manx National Heritage.
Subject tags : #UOSH