Catherine Campbell

talks to Eamonn Cummins

Catherine Campbell nee Connolly

One of a family of seven children, four boys and three girls born to Mr. Torn and Winnie Connolly in close proximity of the Breedogue River and Lough Gara, an area of which she is proud of. Born in the year 1900, Catherine at a very young age became aware of what country life rn.eant to her - hardship, sharing and co-operation. A woman of great memory and intelligence. Her earliest memory was of her mother telling her of been wrapped in a shawl by her mother and Mrs. Kennedy of Lurgan Lodge House taking her daughter Molly to the river bank. Here Torn Connolly put both mothers and daughters in the boat, and rowed up the Breedogue river to Willie Brennan's land. Both children were taken to Willie Brennan's house "The Local Dispensary" to be vacinated against smallpox. Catherine went to Kingsland school in May 1906. Here she made many friends. She recalls some of the girls names in her class, Lizzie Brabazon, Winnie Ferguson, Mary Connaughton, Katie Cryan, Margaret Plunkett and Molly Kennedy who jointed them.later after a term in Clooncunny School. She recalls the Kennedy children being taken to Kingsland school in a pony and trap. Catherine told me about the teachers who taught her. Ellen Keaveny who later became Ellen Naughton, Winnie Hester and Bea McGlynn who taught her for a short while. She enjoyed going to school, the principal subjects being Irish, English, Sums, Sewing, Catechism and writing on the Clairfn with chalk. Catherine recalls having to bring a sod of turf every day to keep the school fire going. She recalls posting letters in the post office in Mrs. Drury's house at the bottom of the hill, and how Mrs. Drury would hit the letters with the Office Stamp before the postman took them for delivery. Catherine remembers her first communion, the great excitement the night before, the new dress and shoes and hat. Up early on Sunday morning to join the other children and their parents, mostly from Derrcough and Emblagh on their way to the church for first Mass which was at 8.30 a.m. After Mass and communion was over the priest brought us into the sacristy where his housekeeper gave us sweets. There were no cameras around at that time, so it was home to a well earned breakfast of oatmeal bread and a boiled egg. Catherine continued her schooling at Kingslan,d until she was about sixteen years. She then worked on a farm with her parents brothers and sisters.

Work on the farm

Work on the farm, consisted of milking, feeding the pigs and hens, making the butter and drawing the water. Which reminds her when she was about seventeen years old being sent for spring water and as the wells were on Drury's shore and the other on the shore under Lurgan Lodge House. At that time Kennedys had a wicked red bull who would roam the farm from Lurgan Lodge to the top of "Harlows Hill". So Catherine decided her safest passage to the well was to take the family boat , the two big cans and row out the river and across the lough to the well. This she had done on many occasions and on windy days would be lucky to have half a can when you would have crossed the lough.

So Catherine decided her safest passage to the well was to take the family boat , the two big cans and row out the river and across the lough to the well. This she had done on many occasions and on windy days would be lucky to have half a can when you would have crossed the lough.

The little shop at Lough End

She also recalls a little shop at Lough End, owned by Jim and Biddy Beirne where you could buy tea, sugar, candles , lamp oil and snuff. They also ran a small sheebeen where you could get a drop of poitin or a pint bottle of porter. She told about one Sunday her brother Paddy and herself going fishing in the lake between the Masses and noticing a mound of sand on the shore, when they investigated they found about twenty bottles of porter, Jim and Biddy would sell them to the people coming home from Mass. This route was travelled by many of  the people coming and going to Mass from Derrycough. They would turn in Lurgan Lodge gate, up the avenue, along the lake shore, along the river bank to the Point river there they would cross up Peter Noone's field and out the Cloonacarrout road. But as Catherine said everybo dy was walking everywhere at that time. Other events Catherine recalls are the lowering of the hill at Peter Sharkey's and out side the old school and the building of the new school. Catherine remembers one colourful character, Barny Spellman, who lived near her. He used to trade in horses . She said he would go to a horse fair in Boyle, in a pony and gig and land back with about six or seven horses of all sizes and colours tied to the back of the gig. Catherine married Dan Campbell and reared five children, Two sons living in England and a son and daughter living in America and a daughter Mary married and living in Boyle. The above conversation took place in April of this year, since then with regret god called Catherine to her eternal reward . On behalf of the reunion committee and myself we off er our deepest sympathy, and would also like to thank her family for allowing us to publish the story.

<< Contents