Aghowle: Where The Divil Ate The Tinker

The townland of Aghowle lies about four miles west of the village of Ashford, on the slopes of Carrick Mountain in north Co. Wicklow. This book tells the story of the families who farmed in this area and of the life they shared. It was a way of life that was to survive over centuries with extraordinary continuity right up to living memory - but then disappear in a generation. Margaret Connolly grew up on a small farm in Aghowle where her ancestors had lived since the early 1800s. Following on from a neighbour's remark quoted below, she set out in this book to ensure that the farming history and folklore of Aghowle and its people would not just fade away and be forgotten - and in so doing, has captured in detail a way of life once common in Ireland.

In the first half of the book, historical documents and recorded memories are used to tell the history of the townland and surrounding areas over four centuries, beginning in the 17th century up until the early 1970s. Stories are told of local legends, traditions and lore; a near-subsistence lifestyle; good and bad landlords; famine, eviction and forced emigration; impacts of events in the wider world such as 1798, the Land League and two World Wars; economic ventures including a slate quarry, clog making and a tobacco plantation; star-crossed lovers and of course, how it came about that The Divil Ate The Tinker.

In the second half of the book, the succession of families occupying each house over the years is traced back to their origins in the townland, their lives there - good times, hard times, happiness and tragedy - their departures and in many cases, what became of them and their worldwide descendants afterwards. The result is a rich tapestry that is alive with the personalities who once graced the area.

For those interested in Irish social history, this book is a marvellous treasure trove and illustrates how much history can be researched for just one small country area. Whilst the book is set in Wicklow, the lifestyles depicted and stories told will easily be recognised by anyone whose origins lie in any small rural townland anywhere in Ireland.