In the pre-television
age local people learned how to amuse themselves with games and pastimes which
gave them endless hours of innocent fun at little or no cost. Football, hurling, boxing, swimming
and handball were amongst the most popular games.
There was room in other games for everyone to participate as the activities encouraged plenty of involvement and did not always depend on physical strength or skill. Some games were more seasonal in nature such as playing conkers, sleighing, playing marbles and games played at school or around the house. Today’s blog looks at a few games that are largely forgotten today.
There was room in other games for everyone to participate as the activities encouraged plenty of involvement and did not always depend on physical strength or skill. Some games were more seasonal in nature such as playing conkers, sleighing, playing marbles and games played at school or around the house. Today’s blog looks at a few games that are largely forgotten today.
- Sleighing
In the winter time if
there was a period of frost and snow then those fortunate to have a sleigh
became the objects of interest and admiration. These sleigh owners were the
heroes of the day as they could offer a world of excitement and danger to
family, friends and neighbours. Some of the principal sleigh runs in the area
were the Main Street, Erne Street, Finner Hill and Darcy’s Bray at Higginstown above the GNR bridge. Christy's Bray was a gentler slope for beginners on West Port at the back of the Erne Cinema.The most exciting sleigh run by far was down the Main Street gathering speed as the sleigh swept past the
Diamond and, if navigation was successful, crossing the bridge and finishing in
the East Port. Cars were not very plentiful at the time and especially during
the Emergency (1939-1945) when there was petrol rationing and so the journey could be
completed reasonably safely. However an eagle eye had to be kept for an
approaching bus as the bus station was located beside the bridge.
There was great spectator sport as people gathered on the Diamond to view the approaching sleigh, gathering speed down the Main Street and not always safely negotiating the journey to the East Port. The long haul of the sleigh back up the Main Street had many willing helpers anxious to get a run on the sleigh on the next occasion. Another source of fun during the frosty periods was sleighing on a slippery slide which could often be improved if water was spread on the slide overnight! The mandatory requirement for this form of sliding was hob nailed boots which gave added grip. On odd occasions of extreme frost when lakes were frozen over adventurous skaters took to the ice.
- Conkers
Autumn was the season for chestnuts and the season for getting conkers to play a totally inexpensive game.The first task was to get the chestnuts down from the trees at places like Danby corner and this involved a range of activities such as climbing the trees or firing objects to dislodge the chestnuts. After a period of wind nature often did its job and lots of chestnuts could be gathered from the ground. The next task was to peel the prickly chestnut and then allow it to dry for a number of days until the outer core was toughened. The conker as it was called had to be pierced through the centre by a nail to allow string to be passed through it. The string was knotted a number of times to provide a base for the conker. A lengthy piece of string was used and this was wrapped around the hand prior to battle commencing. The rules of engagement were that only two people were involved and took alternate turns at inflicting damage to their opponent’s conker. The conker was held away from the body and allowed to swing freely at the end of the string. The purpose of the game was to cut the opponents conker which often required a number of strikes. The skill of hand-eye co-ordination was used successfully by the victor.
- Popular School Games
Tig
This game is still
familiar to young people and the players had their own rhymes eighty years ago,
like the following:
Little
men selling cattle
How
does your money rattle?
One,
two, sky blue
All
out but you
One child counted first
and the last one out was the tigger. The tigger ran after the other players
until she tigged one of them and then the process began again. Similar type
games were High Windows and Round the Green Gravel.
The
Hound and the Hare
This game was similar
to Hide and Seek with the hare hiding and the hound trying to find him. When he
was found he takes to his heels and a chase takes place.
Round
the Green Gravel
Children formed a ring
and ran around singing:
Round
the green gravel the grass grows green
Many
a lady is fit to be seen
Dressed
in silk and washed in milk
The
last pops down
All make a run to be
the first sitting down and whoever is last sitting down is the next tigger.
Cat
and Mouse
One child stood in the
middle and two other children caught each of his hands. Then they swung around
with one called the cat and the other the mouse. The cat tried to catch the
mouse. When the cat caught the mouse the cat was the mouse the next time.
Hiding
the Button
All stood around in a
row and one child pretended to be putting a button or a coin into each child’s
hand. Each child kept their two hands closed tightly. Every child tried to
guess who had the button. If he guessed wrong he had to pay a forfeit.
The
Game of Duck
A large flat stone was
placed on the road or field. a smaller stone is placed on top. This is called
the duck. A stand is made a certain distance away at which the throwers must
stand. Each child then threw a stone to see who could hit and knock off the
duck the greatest number of times.
- Playing Marbles.
In the Spring time a very popular pastime was playing marbles which was played in all parts of the area and which continued until fairly modern times. The advent of television and computer games has limited the number of outdoor games in recent years. The original marbles were clay-fired and were quite fragile and were replaced by colourful glass marbles called ‘glassies’. A much larger glass marble was called the ‘taw’ which had the power to blast ‘glassies’ out of the way and indeed chip them. Steel ball bearings later had the power to smash all opposition. Countless hours were spent in playing marbles which required good hand-eye co-ordination to be successful.
Lots Happening for Ballyshannon 400 Gathering Events
Check a recent blog in May to read about what happened in Ballyshannon 400 years ago. Ballyshannon will have lots of interesting events to commemorate this event and it would be an ideal time for our diaspora to be here for some or all of Ballyshannon 400 from 5th-11th August when there will be daily events of a historic, cultural, fun and community nature.
Ballyshannon 400 features on a new DVD which can also be located on the Internet by googling Ballyshannon Television- You Tube. The DVD showcases the scenery, history, events and heritage of the locality and is well worth a viewing. Congrats. to Mary Daly, Town Clerk, her team at Backing Ballyshannon, the Town Council, Shane Wallace of Wallace Media and a number of helpers for making this possible. Have a look online and relive memories past and present.
In the lead up to Ballyshannon 400 visitors will be in town for the Ballyshannon Folk Festival which takes place from the 1st to the 4th August also for a Dedication Service and weekend events to commemorate the Erne Fishery Case on 3rd and 4th of August. A future blog will discuss the victory in 1933 won by the people in what has become known as The Erne Fishery Case or The Kildoney Fishermens' Case.
Check out the events/venues you might like to attend later in the year including Ballyshannon 400 on http://www.ballyshannon.ie
http://www.ballyshannonmuseum.com/
http://www.ballyshannonmuseum.com/
Upcoming Blogs June/July
29th June “Romance and Murder among the Gaelic Chieftains at Ballyshannon”
29th June “Romance and Murder among the Gaelic Chieftains at Ballyshannon”
6th July “The Banks of Culmore” (Coolmore)
13th July “The Kildoney Fishermen’s Case”
20th July
“Local Customs for Special Days”
27th July Blog on “A Famine Walk from the
Paupers’ Graveyard to the Workhouse in Ballyshannon on 5th August 2013
conducted by Anthony Begley.”
A New Local History Book suitable for those at Home and Away
The genealogy material provides detailed guidelines for anyone tracing their roots in the area or anywhere in County Donegal or Ireland.
The book contains 500 pages and is richly illustrated with stunning colour, aerial photography, original illustrations and rare photographs of the area not seen before.
Topics include: How to go about Tracing your Roots/The first settlers in the area/ Newly researched history of the town of Ballyshannon and the townlands in Kilbarron and Mágh Éne parishes/ Records of the first travellers and tourists to Ballyshannon, Bundoran, Belleek, Rossnowlagh and Ballintra/An aerial guide to place names along the Erne from Ballyshannon to the Bar/Flora and Fauna of the area/ A history of buildings and housing estates in the locality/Graveyard Inscriptions from the Abbey graveyard, St. Joseph’s and St. Anne’s /Rolling back the years with many memories of the Great Famine, Independence struggle, hydro-electric scheme, Gaelic games, boxing, handball, Boy Scouts, soccer, mummers, characters, organisations, folklore and lots more.
Book Available from Anthony Begley West Rock Ballyshannon. anthonyrbegley@hotmail.com Enquiries welcome for postal and other details. Also available at The Novel Idea Bookshop Ballyshannon, Ballyshannon and District Museum, Ballyshannon Tourist Office, The Four Masters Bookshop Donegal Town.
The blogs are original and are not taken from the book above.
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