Memories - Michaela’s story

My name is Michaela. I was born 1946, 22nd March 1946, I’m 63 now. I had three sisters. Jennie, Betty and Maura. I have two brothers, James and Paul.

My Family

I had four sisters but my sister Mary was still born. She was next to me in the family. I am the youngest and my sister Jennie is the eldest. My father died in 1976 and my mother was a widow for a long time. She never married again. My mother died in the nursing home.

My brother Paul is married to an American woman. Pat had to live in America for a month so that they could get married. They have five children and three grandchildren. Jennie married John. They have six children and eight grandchildren. Jennie is a widow. Betty married Jerry. They had two children and one grandchild. Betty is a widow. Maura married Connor. They had two children and three grandchildren. James is a batchelor. Working on the farm.

Working on the farm

I lived on a farm when I were young. I would help with the cows and calves and pigs. I worked fierce hard, feeding them and taking them out in the fields. Like that, taking the cows for milking, and the milk. I never, could never milk a cow; I’d no power in my hand for milking a cow. Even though I was shown, I couldn’t do it at all. Not even for a cup of tea. No, not even a mug of tea.

I cut corn and bagged it for the mill, got ready for the cattle feed. And I used to take the feed down to the field for my brother, and workmen we used to have. We baked cakes and scones, Mother used to bake them for them.

We never had tea bags. Never had tea bags. Loose tea, god. Box of loose tea. They had loose tea in those days now. We were reared on loose tea. We had a bell in the yard. A big bell, when you ring it when the tea was ready, and you’d ring it ‘cause there was no clocks. No washers or anything.

I remember the trashing machines and things. I’d see them work and that, out in the fields. I used to do washing up in the pan, in the basin. We had no washing machines till lately. No, no time wasted. Not the basins, the pans we called them. We’d draw the water and we had a tank in the yard. It was my job doing it. We had buckets and things, it wasn’t heavy. But we had water, we collected the rain water. When that run dry we would go to the river. We would go down to the river and wash them there.

I used to feed the pigs for them. The pulper and that. Mangle and the pulper. It’s like a big wheel, lazy in the machine, you turn the handle. Put the food into it.

I didn’t like it though. The bags of meal, and things, for the mills and things, corn for the mills and that, big bags of stuff and that. I had to lift them up and all.

I remember the old money. The old five pound note. I remember all the old money, the half penny and that.

Going to school

I went to national school, that’s the only school I went to. We’d read and write and more writing than anything else. Sign my name. I don’t remember much about it. I remember the nuns running it. They weren’t great. Sometimes I used to get slapped when I wasn’t in, in time. It only happened to me.

You see in the morning, I was made work before school. Feeding the cattle and pigs and calves and things. That was the only school I went to, I learned to read and write.

When I left school I stayed at home mostly, I stayed home. I didn’t go anywhere. I would help me bothers in the field and things. I got to (the service) 10 or 12 years ago. I was delighted.

Mam didn’t like me to go…

A woman brought us. She was a friend of ours. Jennie got me in here. My sister Jennie is in Dublin, she knew somebody. Mam didn’t like me to go in the beginning she was lonely. James used to go on the mart and things, Roscrea, Nenagh, and Lough Rea and places.

Mother didn’t like me leaving in the beginning, I felt lonely for her. She said “did you want to go home Teresa”? I hadn’t been away since I left school, they didn’t know how to let me go anyway. Nor did me brothers-they told me to work for them. I’d be out in the field working and go to the mart, and sell the pigs and all that.

When I came here I would help in the reception there. I loved it. I’ve retired now. It’s too long, the journey in the morning and in the evening. Too long in the evening, I got fed up with it. I asked two years ago, three years ago for retirement. They gave it to me. Too long of a journey, even the doctor said it was too long for me.  See I suffer with asthma. I’ve had it since I was 12 years of age.

Coming home the bus goes through lots of towns before I get home. And going from the gate I get a short of breath and I’m on the nebuliser. Four times a day I’m on that. Hardly without it I am. And do you know what I remember too? I meant to say, Asthma society. I’m a member of the Asthma Society of Ireland.

Listening to music

I like to listen to CD’s and things. I love Irish music. I like Brendan Shine and Joe Dolan. We go away and go to Birr and things, but we wouldn’t go to Limerick or Dublin or anything. It would be too long.

I have a portable nebuliser, I take it with me. You know, when I go out for the day. Went out at one, came back at 6, I’d still take it. Three nebulisers altogether. I was on three a couple of year ago, now I’m on four.

I’m happy the way I am now, I am yeah. I’m happy with life, I’m happy with retirement. I go old folks. I go on a Monday. I do bingo, I won five one day. Bank holiday we don’t go at all. I’m very happy.

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