An Evening with Michael Culligan

This was an interview carried out with Michael prior to our first publication

Burrane Hill is a quieter place now with Michael Culligan and his son Gerard the only resident family therein. In a recent chat with Michael, he listed family after family who trudged, in their daily duties on the hill but are all now gone to their eternal reward. He had heard his father talk of the village of families who grew up there. The families of Sextons, Madigans, Dalys, Hassetts and Flannerys were but some of the surnames mentioned. In those days they had plenty contact and interaction with them from sharing the workload and the produce.

Michael did not reveal any secrets about his school days with his mother, Mary teaching him but he recalled the male teachers who at some stage taught him, Mr Twomey (Shannon), McGrinn, Fitzgibbon and Cunningham, who were probably subs. Joe Torpey and himself recalled confirmation preparation and visits from the inspector. Michael recalled the hardship of those classmates from Upper Burrane and Tonovoher who trudged in the inclement weather through the fields to Burrane School. He had vivid memories of the Guare (Behan), Morgan (Breaffa), Cleary and Moloney children of that era coming to school, ‘drowned wet’ when they arrived in school. When asked what was done for them, Michael replied ‘they sat in their desks’, nothing but ‘wallopings’, (slapping, for those of you who have not heard the term). Michael too, who took the short cut through the fields was happy when his time to leave came and take his place on the family farm. His only classmate alive today is T.V. Malone of Burrane Lower.

His ‘vocation’ to farming was inevitable as in that generation the boy was expected to stay and continue in his father’s footsteps. Milking cows and rearing animals were the main income on the Culligan farm and that tradition has continued to this day. Michael explained that in that era it was hard to make money. Though one was self -sufficient with produce, there were no grants and money was scarce. Ploughing with the horse; swing ploughs, the wheel plough, the meitheal were all the vocabulary intertwined in the chat with Michael. Their pedal thrasher, which required three strong men to operate, was shared out to the neighbours when needed. Bernard Duggan (Kilmihil), now display’s Michael’s old one on vintage days. He recalled the labour required with the wheat and oat crop, drying it and taking it to the mill in Kilrush. He recalled that Patrick O’Connell (Burrane), had the first tractor locally and he did hire work during the ‘compulsory tillage’ era with Senan Murray as his driver.

As a young fellow he remembers going to Lorigan’s (Donagrogue) shop for paraffin oil, to Jackie Frawley’s for cigarettes and of course the many pranks he and his pals got up to. He recalled, helping as a garsún, on a few occasions to pull Tug of War – some of the local strong men challenging one another in a sports day in Malone’s field Lower Burrane, with Jack Culligan (Donail), Jimo McMahon (Donail), Martey Mangan (Donagrogue), Paddy Nugent (Donail) and himself pulled. Training for the same sport was good fun, which was done at times at Donagrogue, (where the Mushroom Farm was). Names like Marty Bonfield, Timmy Connell and McMahon were mentioned. The local great dancers were recalled and the competitive edge they had, in fact they competed at Sports in Daly’s Field, Kilmurry McMahon. The male set dancers Murt Cunningham (Tiervarna), Francie Nolan (Poulnadaree), Paddy McMahon (Donail) and his neighbours were in fine form as were their partners Nellie Daly (Burrane) and Baby Nolan (Poulnadaree).

Card playing took place in his home when the neighbours gathered and of course they arrived to hear the big matches on the radio as not every house had one. Socials in Killimer School were always part of the social calendar. Michael became an active member with many farming bodies like the N.F.A. later the I.F.A. and the Mart. Michael has four Senior County Medals, which he won with Kilrush in 1957, 58, 60, and 62. He named John Kennedy (Knockerra) and John Murray (Donail), as teammates. Michael said between training and matches he had little time for other activities. As a midfielder for Kilrush he was no doubt a valued team member. His football career ended when he broke his leg while playing in Cooraclare in 1965. He still keeps a keen interest in all the Gaelic Games.

Michael and his Kilrush born wife, Bridie (Burke), reared their six children, all who have flown the nest with the exception of Gerard who like his father farms on Burrane Hill, with the same keen interest in the G.A.A. and I.F.A. and farming.  Patrick in Ennis and Michael in Dublin, are close to home in comparison to the rest of the family who live abroad. With Brendan in France, Colm in Australia, Mary in Germany, Michael has become a seasoned traveller as he has made regular visits to them. Sadly Bridie has passed to her eternal reward, is not here to accompany him. Michael is blessed with good health and is still lending a hand on the farm and keeping an eye on the cattle markets and the farming industry in general. He is well impressed with the modern developments but wonders where Technology will lead the farming community. Michael’s love of Gaelic Football, which was his main pastime, was evident in his conversation.

A great evening of banter took place with Michael with stories of the local families. Stories of a different era when the sound of grating cart wheels that went in queues to the ‘Closh Well’ on dry days is no more were recalled also of the neighbouring family who had a very damp flag floor, with circa forty props to keep the roof up and a stone pillow.  An account of the famous ‘Culligan Water’ that is world famous was dwelt on. The business owned by the Culligan family are third generation Irish and natives of Burrane.