collector, not of any collectable material, but he liked to collect any kind of little animal that was hurt – frogs that were trampled on with horses, rabbits that were hurt with an old-fashioned car of some kind. He was even known to carry a deer on his little cart because it was hit and needing mended. Crows, jackdaws, pigeons – all the little animals. And when he was settled for a wee while, him and old Mary, farmers who knew of him would come and get in contact with him if they had a sick animal, he’d go along to them. And he became well known.
But anyway, there was a group of Travellers camped in the quarry in Kilmichael Glassary many years ago, just shortly after the 1914 war, and of course people were very strict about the Travellers in those days. The local police moved them on, they were a kind of a menace, they were beggars, they werenae thiefs, but they got the name of being thieves and children stealers, you know, all these things saidabout the Travelling People. But actually they were honest, hard-working people. And of course the local landowners when they were pitched on their land, the first thing on their mind was to move them on to someone else’s property.
So this group of Travellers was camped in Kilmichael Quarry, which I’ve camped in many times myself, when the local landowner’s wife came along on horseback. And she saw this group of Travellers camped in the quarry, and she thought to herself, this is my husband’s property. Why do these people be in there in this place anyhow, what are they doing there? She knew, passed down, all the Travellers were thieves and children-stealers, and at night when people were sleeping they would steal and thieve. Which was just a lot of nonsense! But she had this belief in her head.
So she dismounted from her horse and she came over. She said, ‘What are youse people doing here?’
And a few of the women came up and said, ‘We’re resting, we’re camped here, this is an old traditional . . .’
‘This is not a traditional camping place; this is my husband’s property!’ And of course she came down off her horse and she lectured away to the Travelling people, told them they must move on, she would call the police, you know, naturally call the police, carry on, you must go on! And after a good lecture she mounted her horse and rode back. The Travellers paid no attention to her, she was just another woman.
But anyhow, it was summertime, in the late evening who should come along but her husband on the same horse! And when he came to the Travellers, he said, ‘I thought my wife had told you to move on this morning?’
And someone of the Travellers said, ‘We’ve things to do and we can’t move. We’ll move when we feel like it.’
But he said, ‘Look, I’m not so much worried about you moving on, but I was wondering if any of you had seen a ring? My wife was along here this morning.’
‘Oh,’ they said, ‘yes, your wife was along here and she gave us a lot of cheek and chat, you know.’
‘Well, she lost her wedding ring and it means so much to her.’
And camped close to the side of the road was Johnny McGill with his wife Mary and his little tent. And Johnny had rescued a crow, a black crow that had a broken wing. And he had carried it with him on his little cart for days and weeks. And he’d mended its wing the best he could but it still couldnae fly. And it became a kind of a pet with him, and it would hop around the fire, it was a novelty for the children. Johnny McGill’s crow!
The landowner said, ‘Look, I’m no worried about you moving on, but I’m more worried about my wife’s ring. She’s lost her ring.’
And then out from the crowd of Travellers, men standing around the fire, Johnny McGill stepped and he said to the man, ‘Sir, if I was you, I wouldn’t be riding that horse.’
And the young laird says, ‘Excuse me, what did you say?’
He said, ‘Sir, if I was you I wouldn’t be riding that
But anyway, there was a group of Travellers camped in the quarry in Kilmichael Glassary many years ago, just shortly after the 1914 war, and of course people were very strict about the Travellers in those days. The local police moved them on, they were a kind of a menace, they were beggars, they werenae thiefs, but they got the name of being thieves and children stealers, you know, all these things saidabout the Travelling People. But actually they were honest, hard-working people. And of course the local landowners when they were pitched on their land, the first thing on their mind was to move them on to someone else’s property.
So this group of Travellers was camped in Kilmichael Quarry, which I’ve camped in many times myself, when the local landowner’s wife came along on horseback. And she saw this group of Travellers camped in the quarry, and she thought to herself, this is my husband’s property. Why do these people be in there in this place anyhow, what are they doing there? She knew, passed down, all the Travellers were thieves and children-stealers, and at night when people were sleeping they would steal and thieve. Which was just a lot of nonsense! But she had this belief in her head.
So she dismounted from her horse and she came over. She said, ‘What are youse people doing here?’
And a few of the women came up and said, ‘We’re resting, we’re camped here, this is an old traditional . . .’
‘This is not a traditional camping place; this is my husband’s property!’ And of course she came down off her horse and she lectured away to the Travelling people, told them they must move on, she would call the police, you know, naturally call the police, carry on, you must go on! And after a good lecture she mounted her horse and rode back. The Travellers paid no attention to her, she was just another woman.
But anyhow, it was summertime, in the late evening who should come along but her husband on the same horse! And when he came to the Travellers, he said, ‘I thought my wife had told you to move on this morning?’
And someone of the Travellers said, ‘We’ve things to do and we can’t move. We’ll move when we feel like it.’
But he said, ‘Look, I’m not so much worried about you moving on, but I was wondering if any of you had seen a ring? My wife was along here this morning.’
‘Oh,’ they said, ‘yes, your wife was along here and she gave us a lot of cheek and chat, you know.’
‘Well, she lost her wedding ring and it means so much to her.’
And camped close to the side of the road was Johnny McGill with his wife Mary and his little tent. And Johnny had rescued a crow, a black crow that had a broken wing. And he had carried it with him on his little cart for days and weeks. And he’d mended its wing the best he could but it still couldnae fly. And it became a kind of a pet with him, and it would hop around the fire, it was a novelty for the children. Johnny McGill’s crow!
The landowner said, ‘Look, I’m no worried about you moving on, but I’m more worried about my wife’s ring. She’s lost her ring.’
And then out from the crowd of Travellers, men standing around the fire, Johnny McGill stepped and he said to the man, ‘Sir, if I was you, I wouldn’t be riding that horse.’
And the young laird says, ‘Excuse me, what did you say?’
He said, ‘Sir, if I was you I wouldn’t be riding that
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