The death of a cow would be a huge stroke of bad luck. Pisheógs were often invoked to bring good luck to one family and bad luck to another. The reference to hearing her is obviously to hearing the beating sound as she pounded the clothes. It would appear she was washing clothes and beating them clean. The dead cow at the end is the clue here.ĭave O’Sullivan found the meaning of the word bittling in a dictionary of Scots Gallic I think we are all agreed that it refers to some kind of pisheóg behaviour. Yesterday’s story from Rathea raised many questions. A big thank you to the people who have sent stuff already but there must be lots of stuff in albums and attics that others would enjoy seeing. I’m on the 50th Commemoration Committee and we are desperately looking for old photos, or stories from the last 50 years of festivals.

I got a sneak peak at what’s in store and its really really good. Jim Dunn, Catherine Moylan, Carol Stricks and Elizabeth Dunn finalising a brilliant Art programme for Listowel Writers’ Week 2020, which will run from May 27 to May 31 2020 Statue of Alice Taylor in her native Newmarket, Co.

She didn’t really appreciate the fact that she had just met one of Ireland”s up and coming memoir writers. Poor Clíona hadn’t a clue who the lady was but she pocketed the fiver all the same. She called us over, gave Clíona a fiver and posed for a photo. Alice Taylor was alighting from the bus when she spotted the little girl dressed as herself. Ta dah! Alice Taylor goes To School Through the Fields.Īs we were dispersing after the parade the bus with the people on the bus tour was just arriving in The Square. I dressed her up in her school uniform, tied a few old books together with a leather strap/belt and found a sod of turf. Easy peasy as all the props and costume requirements were easy to acquire. I thought up the perfect dress- up character for Clíona. I was a Mammy with a little girl who was anxious to take part in the Writers’ Week fancy dress parade. It must have been 1988 or 1989, because To School Through the Fields was published in 1988 and its author, Alice Taylor is the subject of my story.Īlice Taylor and me in Philips Bookshop in Mallow at a book signing inīack in 1988 Alice Taylor was starting out on her literary career and she came to Listowel to attend Writers’ Week. A dog who loves the beach Photo by Bridget O’Connor

The Women by Alice Taylor