Buying and selling

Long ago on every Sunday after mass there used to be people outside the Milltown church selling apples. They used to sell them very cheaply. Those people were called dealing people. But the people do not sell them now. In every town there is a market place. The market place in Milltown was near Mr. Noone’s. The market day was on Tuesday. But there is no market now. There used to be a lot of men and women at the market.

The women used to be selling fish and cotton and delph. The men used to be selling oats and plants. There is a pig fair in Milltown every month. The shops are filled with people on that day. The reason the people used to be selling outside the church was because there were not many shops in Milltown. There usually are a lot of tinkers going around the town on fair days selling fruit. There was not much money in use long ago. The people used to exchange goods for other goods. There is no five shilling piece to be seen not but it was used long ago. Everything was very dear. The cattle were very dear also. You would get £30 for a cow. The people had not much money long ago. They used to work for shopkeepers and they would get food instead of money. The people had to work very hard long ago.

Collector: Delia Connolly, Milltown

Informant: Matt Connolly (parent)

Place: Milltown, Co. Galway

Footnote: Duchas, http://www.duchas.ie