In England, smallpox vaccination was compulsory from 1853. This was extended to Ireland in 1863 and linked to the registration of births. Parents or guardians were given responsibility to ensure vaccination of infants within six months of birth and were liable to be prosecuted if they failed to comply.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Des’ toy car and cowboy outfit were the cutest artefacts presented during the project.
It is lovely to see much loved childhood treasures being preserved for, and then shared with, other generations.
2 Shillings, it’s a wedding thing
The British florin, or two shilling coin, was issued from 1849 until 1967, valued at one tenth of a pound (24 old pence), it was the last coin circulating immediately prior to decimalisation to be demonetised, in 1993, having for a quarter of a century circulated alongside the ten pence piece, identical in specifications and value.
Bernadette shares her memories of her mum and Daly’s, the local shop.
Each of the Participants involved in the Project were invited to bring in an item to share with the group. It could be a photography, a historical item or a family heirloom.
Hughie brought in his Great Grandfather’s banjo to show the group.
Abi shares with us the story of her 109 year old Bible and how it was won for ‘Good answering’ by her Great Grandmother.
In this video Robert and John tell us about their Millennium Project to build a traditional Irish Donkey Cart and Turf Barrow, and although this was a massive undertaking, it was nowhere as difficult as the requirement to make 2 miniature scaled models of the same.
A Badger’s Woes – a poem by Robert Corrigan
The Blackthorn bush is found throughout Ireland and the British Isles.
It has been prized for centuries as a material for premium walking sticks. The original Blackthorn sticks used to be 2 to 4-foot long Irish shillelaghs (the national weapon of rural Ireland). In expert hands the shillelagh was so fearsome that during the final occupation of Ireland, the English outlawed it.
To get around the law, the Irish turned the shillelagh into a 3-foot walking stick. The English didn’t want to appear unreasonable by outlawing walking sticks too, so the Irish kept their modified shillelaghs and the world gained a beautiful and functional walking stick known simple as the Blackthorn.
Here John explains his family tradition of passing the Blackthorn from Grandfather to Grandson, following the family name James.
Mary shares with the group her carved utensils, given to her as a gift from a family friend who served as a missionary with the Mill Hill Fathers.
