In 1917 no one had a TV (no electricity) just the Oil Lamps which burned brightly.

The gramaphone was used to play records from America with all the old style songs such as Irish Eyes are Smiling and Danny Boy and of course Take Me Home Again Kathleen.

We played a game called Dathogue where we tied a scarf around our heads (across our eyes)and tried to catch each other.

We would play handball up & down the kitchen between the chairs, we used for goalposts.

We went to mass in Killaraght church and afterwards we would have a fry up for breakfast.

We then opened our presents from Santa which would usually be dolls clothes (fancy frocks for the girls)from America,Whistles & Bugle sets.

We would also get small colouring books and sweets.In our Christmas Stockings would be Handkerchiefs and socks. Outside we played,me,Bridgie,Michael,John & MaryKate .

If it snowed we had to watch for the "ice, been thrown in the quise of snowballs and if we cried we were all called in.

Christmas dinner was Goose with cabbage, potatoes,carrots & turnips.

Dessert was sweet jelly with custard and spongecake. Then Tea and a barn brack like cake (we got from Cunninghams in Boyle).

We had no visitors on Christmas day so my father could smoke his pipe full of Bendigo Twist with its full aroma filling the kitchen .

My father might sometimes take a small whiskey but mother did not drink.