BY J.R. HOGAN
A number of differing shades of green battle for dominance, shafts of early morning sun filter through the gaps in sizable branches. A soft breeze caresses your
skin; you can feel it capturing your straw-coloured locks in
its gentle gusts.
The cacophony of singing birds merges with the crunching
of leaves underfoot in glorious harmony, the redolent scent of
wildflowers i...
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THE HOOVER
BY ÉADAOIN KINSELLA O’NEILL
Iwas only a year and a half old but away in a world of my own. Young, but already so independent. I loved being outside because out there, I could do anything. Helping my Dad in
the garden was my favourite thing to do. Dad planted peas,
spuds, carrots and onions. I always helped him because I was
afraid that if I didn’t, I wouldn’t get any peas. And peas! Ahhh
pea...
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UNDER THE BRIDGE
BY FIONN DE FAOITE
It started on another one of those dewy, misty, pale Saturday mornings.We had just finished our breakfast of brown soda bread and some local honey from Tinahely. We were all gathered around the dining table having thoughts about what to do that day in our favourite place—Loggan. I usually love going for a walk up the road with my dog, Sammy, especially in summer. It’s so ni...
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A SCARY MEMORY
BY CAOIMHE MCGONIGLE
The pink curtains were open. I was in my tiny cot and I
was meant to be asleep... I was two years of age and my
bedroom was up on the second floor.
Of course, I didn’t sleep. I shook the bars of the cot but they
wouldn’t budge. I was scared that my parents might hear me
but I didn’t give up. I tried to climb over but fell back down
onto my blanket and pillow.
Well...
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PICKING POTATOES
BY ALEX SWEETMAN MCDONALD
When we go to my Grandad’s house, way down in
Taghmon, south County Wexford, sometimes we go out
to the field and pick potatoes.
Grandad’s house is in the country, in a very open place
where there’s lots of space between the houses. At the time
of this story, I was only six. Or nearly seven. But I remember
that the field was big and wide. When we got up that morn...
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THE HAIRCLIP
BY AVAE SWEENEY
One time, I was visiting my Nanny’s house and asked her
what was her favourite Christmas present, as we were
doing a worksheet in school about one of your grandparents’
favourite Christmas presents. So I chose my Nanny.
My Nanny said ‘Well Avae, we never had anything like you
did at Christmas time. All we did was bring in an evergreen
tree from the woods beside our house a...
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HOW TO SKIN A RABBIT
BY CARMEL KINSELLA
At about eleven or twelve years of age, I was taught the
technique of how to skin a rabbit. It was a regular chore
for a child that time, if you had a supply of them.
In my early married life, here in Toberpatrick when I would
be lucky enough to get a present of a dead one, I would put
several layers of newspaper down onto our kitchen table and
lay the rabbit out on ...
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