Interview with Ned Maddrell of Glen Chass about fishing in the Isle of Man and the British Isles
Audio Player:
Date(s): 1952
Creator(s): Radcliffe, John William
Scope & Content: Ned talks about an ‘eairk booa’ (cow horn) found on a beach which held the grease used when sewing sails with needles; fishing boat the 'Harriet', Maddrell her master and Maddrell’s grandson attending Manx Gaelic classes; the 'Excelsior' and the men who fished speaking Manx; Niarbyl, Fleshwick and Bradda; Doug Faragher’s grandmother who first took him to Fleshwick; Crebbins and Corkhills from Fleshwick, Bradda and Surby; herring; area of sea from Niarbyl to Bradda was the Baie Vooar; fishing boat the 'Willy' on it for a week at the start of the First World War; coming home from Barra on the 'Empress Queen'; master Keig; women with beards. Walter Clarke mentions a Ramsey woman without any hair ('t’ad ooilley ersooyl cam er y twoaie', 'they’re all odd in the North'); jokes about the Southside being the best place to live. Ned suggests that Doug Faragher should live with him and speak Manx which leads to a humorous discussion about women and marriage.
Ned declines reciting a story about a young man courting a maiden. Ned talks about Manx spoken when he was young; Harry Kelly of Cregneash and his two brothers and sister; Neddy Hom Ruy and his story of catching herring; bollan (ballan wrasse) and callig (pollock); money for mackerel in Ireland and a story about selling mackerel to an Irish woman; story about the master of a Manx boat who went ashore in Scotland to buy eggs; fishing experiences in Scotland; fishing around Shetland in the summer for herring; almost 100 boats that went from Port St Mary to fish in Ireland and Scotland and about 200 from Peel; only 2 boats from Ramsey the first time he went fishing for herring at Lerwick in Shetland, one was the 'Village Maid', whose master was William Ball who lived in the Gob Gorrym/Rue Point area and whose son was alive in Laxey and had a boat called ‘Speeideilys’.
Administration / Biographical History: Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh (Manx Society) Recordings. This collection of recordings were made on paper tapes from 1951-1953 by members of YCG on a ‘Sound Mirror’ recording machine. The Machine was owned by YCG, purchased for them by member John Gell. Recording sessions usually took place on Sunday afternoon. In most cases speakers were interviewed in their own homes, usually by two or more interviewers. 29 tapes were made in all (YCG nos 1-24, 29, 30, 32-34).
(Information from Broderick, 'Language Death in the Isle of Man', 1999.)
Language: Manx Gaelic
Extent: 31 min. 52 sec.
Item name: magnetic recording tape
Collection: Sound Archive
Level: ITEM
ID number: SA 0010
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