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From: "Jean R." <>
Subject: [Irish-in-UK] Portumna, Co. Galway -- Denis IRELAND (1936)
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:00:19 -0700


SNIPPET: Portumna, Co. Galway -- "This morning in Portleix we were to have
begun a trip to the Comeragh Mountains in Co. Waterford, but since snow
could be seen lying on the distant peaks of the mountains in Co. Wicklow we
decided to visit the annual point-to-point meeting of the East Galways near
Portumna instead. Our route lies due west, through the northern end of Co.
Tipperary, pleasant rolling wooded country, with here and there a glimpse of
fine estates. Then as Lough Derg and the Shannon come in sight the country
becomes even more pleasantly wooded. Here in the west there is no snow, and
the weather is typical Irish April, heavy rain-clouds interspersed with
bursts of brilliant sunshine. The meeting too is a typical Irish
point-to-point; there seems to be very little to distinguish these events,
in Co. Down or Galway -- except that here the crowd contains perhaps a
slightly higher percentage of oddities and "characters" than would a similar
crowd in the North. A gentleman in a top-hat sings like a bird before
inviting the crowd to invest in his sweepstake lottery. Then there is the
inevitable philanthropist dressed as a jockey who apparently tours the
country giving out winners, to a perpetual refrain of "What did I tell you?"
Delightful occupation. Here he is again, as much at home in Galway as he was
last year in Co. Antrim, and still moving at his priest-like task. The
crowds sway and push; servant-girls from the big houses in the neighbourhood
giggle as they lose their sixpences at roulette or spotting the lady. The
"quality" here is to be distinguished by a certain air of genteel
shabbiness; ancient riding breeches, dilapidated tweed coats patched at the
elbows with leather, almost historical mackintoshes -- nobody here seems to
have more than ten shillings to bet with, and everybody seems to be happy,
all rubbing elbows in a crowd that contains indifferently the most ancient
names in Debrett and dilapidated tinkers with no seats to their pants." --
Denis Ireland, "From the Irish Shore," 1936


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