The Coolidge examiner., 1933-10-27

All of these names except Gill
are spelled in more than one way,
but are acknowledged to refer to
the same stocks. Confusion that
might result from the duplication
of first names is commonly avoided
by the addition of the fathers given
name. Thus Patrick Flaherty John
or James Mullin William become
sufficiently distinctive These are
here cited in English form, but
Irish is, of course, the universal
speech among the islanders, and
there are many of all ages who
have little or no English.
The Arran people are, on the
whole, a fine looking lot, variable
in stature and complexion, but
showing a strongly marked Morse
component.
The clothing worn by the older
inhabitants of InishmOre, and by
practically the entire population of
the less urbane islands of Inish-
man and Inisheer, is the time-hon-
ored garb of cloudy blue homespun,
with ankle-length trousers for the
men, and white-sleeved coat over
the blouse. A hat of heavy felt
completes the native costume, but
many of the younger men have
taken to caps or tam-o'-shanters, as
well as to the blue jersey of the
fisherman.
The women wear long, red, home
spun petticOatS, indigo stockings,
and red or parti-colored shawls.
Taste and utility are combined in
the woven wOOlen girdles, of bright
hues, bound several times around
the waists of men and boys or sewn
as a decoration on the skirts of the
women.
Except in the sophisticated parts
of InishmOre, within few miles
of Kilronan, the dress of small
boys includes a red petticoat in
lieu of breecheS. At IniShman one
sees nothing else Formerly the
boys wore these until they were
twenty or so, but now one sees
none on youngsters of more than
fifteen years.
The boys skirt is, no doubt, a
phase of the Gaelic kilt, surviving
in shorter and more familiar form
in the Scottish Highlands, but at
the Abrams it seems to have be-
come necessary to justify it by a
spurious explanation. Probably as
a result of innumerable inquiries
by visitors. the following story is
now passed out as a matter of
course:
The fairies or the commonplace
devil have the power to lure small
boys out of the everyday world, but
their influence over little girls is
much less. Therefore the boys are
rugged out like girls and the evil
ones are likely to be deceived. al
though there Is no absolute assur-
ance of safety.
What the Houses Are Like.
The dwellings on all three Ar
rams are of the usual Irish peasant
type, built of cemented stone,
whitewashed within and without,
and rooted with thatch, fiagstones,
or slate shingles. Nine out OF ten
are thatched. and in this land of
ocean gusts the straw is laced
down with a network Of cOrdage.
the vertical strands Of which are
knotted to a line of pegs under the
caves. The pegs themselves are Of
limestone. forming units of the
wall; for wood. even in small
pieces, is at premium.
The houses may have two, three,
or even more rooms. AT any rate,
there will be the kitchen (the liv-
ing room of the family and bed
room opening from it.
Above half of the kitchen is the
inevitable turf loft. where suffi-
cient peat is stored so that dry fuel
is always at hand. The appurte-
nances of the kitchen include a
pot-oven among the fireplace gear,
and an open cupboard in which are
ranged the treasured Canton plates,
the trenchers, luster jugs. and 9TH
er ware passed along from one
generation to the next.
The cupboard, like the beds, is
likely to be painted in pattern Of
bright colors.