By Corrib, Clare and Cregg

By Corrib, Clare and Cregg and Seanchas Cois Teallaigh reminds us in some detail of times past in rural Ireland. We are led back to the times when it was customary to walk or cycle to school, enjoy the local game of pitch and toss, work on the farm, walk to the fairs, learn all about the World War 2 as it unfolded, listen to the news and sport on the village radio, attend the races and even an air display, work in McDonoghs, Roadstone and the OPW, and recall the sorrows and disappointments of life as well as the joys and humorous moments.

One of the outstanding merits of the publication is the minute descriptions of the numerous events and the lists of the people involved. Nor does the author attempt to gloss over the hardships of bygone days in a superficial manner for he informs the reader of the tough times families endured during World War 2 and the drudgery of farm work for men and women alike. As can be gleaned from the content pages alone there is an abundance of historical material included to dwell on and discuss. While the actual setting is in the main within the confines of a parish, it may be applied to any rural setting in the west of Ireland with little alteration.

John Murphy, author of the publication, is a person of his times and in his times. In this narrative he records in some detail the events which shaped his life and blessed him with an extraordinary gift of memory. His comprehensive account of events spanning almost four score years carries no baggage or bias. Though the narrative is not nostalgic in content, the vivid record of happenings of bygone days has the power to evoke nostalgia in a reader familiar with those times. A study of this narrative can assist significantly those of a younger generation in an appreciation of local history.