Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
Anne Hendrick’s interview offers a vivid oral history of mid-20th-century life in Drumgoold and the Shannon area of Enniscorthy. Her narrative weaves together family memory, community life, religious belief, folklore, gender roles and everyday survival, revealing a tightly knit society shaped by hardship, mutual dependence and strong cultural traditions. For anyone interested in Irish social history, Wexford heritage, folklore, or the lived experience of people from this timeframe in Ireland, this interview offers warmth, humour, and insightful local memory.
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List of Contents:
00:00 Introduction & Setting the Scene
01:20 Born and Raised in Drumgoold
02:45 The Murphy Family Background
04:10 Early Housing Conditions
05:35 Life Without Modern Facilities
07:00 Cooking on the Open Fire
08:20 Childhood Food & “Goodie”
09:40 Yellow 'Male' & Simple Suppers
11:00 Sharing Food with Neighbours
12:15 Always Something in the Pot
13:30 The Ass and Car – Barney
14:50 Visiting Ferns & Local Journeys
16:05 Summer Trips to the Seaside
17:20 Boiling Tea Outdoors
18:35 Grandmother “Parcher” & Her Cures
19:55 Worm Doses & Folk Remedies
21:10 Ringworm & Boot Cure
22:25 Wart Cures & Dandelion Milk
23:40 Sugar in Stout as a Tonic
24:55 Emigration in the Family
26:10 Father’s Working Life
27:25 Mother’s Work & Hardship
28:40 Laundry, Flour Sacks & Straw Beds
29:55 Bird Catching in the Bog
31:10 Bird Cages in the Kitchen
32:20 Grandfather’s Craft Skills
33:35 Father Shoeing the Pony
34:45 Anne’s Love of Sewing & Making
36:00 Upcycling & Creativity
37:15 Strong Community Bonds
38:30 Open Doors & Constant Visitors
39:45 Helping During Childbirth
41:00 Churching of Women
42:15 Baptism the Morning After Birth
43:30 Pilgrimages & Holy Wells
44:45 Nightly Prayers & Devotion
46:00 New Year’s Door Ritual
47:15 Luck Money & Cattle Deals
48:30 Christmas Decorations & Holly
49:45 Paper Ceiling Decorations
51:00 Little Christmas – 6 January
52:15 Halloween (“Dark All Holland”)
53:30 Apples, Nuts & Ducking Games
54:45 Strict Upbringing for Girls
56:00 Waiting at the Window with a Torch
57:15 Courtship Rules & Restrictions
58:30 “Girls Are Different”
59:45 Lessons from Grandmother
61:00 Supernatural Experience After Birth
62:20 Deceased Father’s Visitation
63:40 Death Traditions – Opening Windows
65:00 Mirrors Covered & Clocks Stopped
66:15 Banshee & Keening Dogs
67:30 Birds as Omens
68:45 Butterflies & Signs from the Dead
70:00 All Souls’ Night Traditions
71:15 Memory, Loss & Continuity
72:30 Traditions Still Practised Today
73:30 Reflections on Change & Modern Ireland
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I recorded this conversation on 27th February 2026 as part of a larger Oral History Project in the Templeshannon area of Enniscorthy. Although part of the wider town of Enniscorthy, The Shannon retains its own unique identity, accent, customs, and mannerisms. It also has a very strong community bond and deep-rooted connection to place, not found in other parts of the town. These interviews are being undertaken in a bid to celebrate these qualities and are supported by Wexford County Council through the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme.
..........................................................
Anne Hendrick’s interview offers a vivid oral history of mid-20th-century life in Drumgoold and the Shannon area of Enniscorthy. Her narrative weaves together family memory, community life, religious belief, folklore, gender roles and everyday survival, revealing a tightly knit society shaped by hardship, mutual dependence and strong cultural traditions. For anyone interested in Irish social history, Wexford heritage, folklore, or the lived experience of people from this timeframe in Ireland, this interview offers warmth, humour, and insightful local memory.
..........................................................
List of Contents:
00:00 Introduction & Setting the Scene
01:20 Born and Raised in Drumgoold
02:45 The Murphy Family Background
04:10 Early Housing Conditions
05:35 Life Without Modern Facilities
07:00 Cooking on the Open Fire
08:20 Childhood Food & “Goodie”
09:40 Yellow 'Male' & Simple Suppers
11:00 Sharing Food with Neighbours
12:15 Always Something in the Pot
13:30 The Ass and Car – Barney
14:50 Visiting Ferns & Local Journeys
16:05 Summer Trips to the Seaside
17:20 Boiling Tea Outdoors
18:35 Grandmother “Parcher” & Her Cures
19:55 Worm Doses & Folk Remedies
21:10 Ringworm & Boot Cure
22:25 Wart Cures & Dandelion Milk
23:40 Sugar in Stout as a Tonic
24:55 Emigration in the Family
26:10 Father’s Working Life
27:25 Mother’s Work & Hardship
28:40 Laundry, Flour Sacks & Straw Beds
29:55 Bird Catching in the Bog
31:10 Bird Cages in the Kitchen
32:20 Grandfather’s Craft Skills
33:35 Father Shoeing the Pony
34:45 Anne’s Love of Sewing & Making
36:00 Upcycling & Creativity
37:15 Strong Community Bonds
38:30 Open Doors & Constant Visitors
39:45 Helping During Childbirth
41:00 Churching of Women
42:15 Baptism the Morning After Birth
43:30 Pilgrimages & Holy Wells
44:45 Nightly Prayers & Devotion
46:00 New Year’s Door Ritual
47:15 Luck Money & Cattle Deals
48:30 Christmas Decorations & Holly
49:45 Paper Ceiling Decorations
51:00 Little Christmas – 6 January
52:15 Halloween (“Dark All Holland”)
53:30 Apples, Nuts & Ducking Games
54:45 Strict Upbringing for Girls
56:00 Waiting at the Window with a Torch
57:15 Courtship Rules & Restrictions
58:30 “Girls Are Different”
59:45 Lessons from Grandmother
61:00 Supernatural Experience After Birth
62:20 Deceased Father’s Visitation
63:40 Death Traditions – Opening Windows
65:00 Mirrors Covered & Clocks Stopped
66:15 Banshee & Keening Dogs
67:30 Birds as Omens
68:45 Butterflies & Signs from the Dead
70:00 All Souls’ Night Traditions
71:15 Memory, Loss & Continuity
72:30 Traditions Still Practised Today
73:30 Reflections on Change & Modern Ireland
..........................................................
I recorded this conversation on 27th February 2026 as part of a larger Oral History Project in the Templeshannon area of Enniscorthy. Although part of the wider town of Enniscorthy, The Shannon retains its own unique identity, accent, customs, and mannerisms. It also has a very strong community bond and deep-rooted connection to place, not found in other parts of the town. These interviews are being undertaken in a bid to celebrate these qualities and are supported by Wexford County Council through the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme.
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