Clare Travelling Shop, Ireland 1982

On the road with Andy McNamara who runs a grocery delivery service in the Tulla townlands of County Clare.
Andy McNamara has been travelling the roads of East Clare for 33 years delivering groceries. Many of his customers are living in remote areas. Recently he has been joined on his travels by his daughter Anita.
Along the way, we meet some of their customers who stock up on the essentials of bread tea and sugar. They make a regular call to the home of fiddle player Michael Dinan who plays an unusual triangular-shaped fiddle he made himself using bog oak, pine, sycamore, and elder. The McNamaras and the RTÉ crew are treated to a tune from Michael who is accompanied by his 91-year-old mother Bridget on concertina.
This episode of ‘Ireland’s Eye’ was broadcast on 27 May 1982. The reporter is John O’Donoghue.

[@andrewmellon5072]

The travelling shops gave credit and bought eggs, when people had no cars they provided great service up until the late 80s.

[@shooster5884]

We had a travelling shop coming til about 2000 or a little later here to our farmyard in Mayo.. It was great for the elderly who had no transport. As well as all the shop items, both food and all other household basics from needles to washing powders etc, he would have any vegetables, jam, bread etc that any other households had surplus to sell to him along his route. He took our surplus eggs to sell on.. and we'd buy some of other neighbors homemade stuff if he had it. It was a fantastic service.. a real part of the community. You'd be sure to have the big shopping bags, the list and the purse ready at the door that morning not to delay him whenever he arrived.. And be hoping that the buns or maybe sweet cakes that you wanted weren't already sold out! You could ask him to bring a particular item for you from town the next week. He was very obliging that way.. The image of the traveling shop now only a ghost image in the yard in my mind.. It was one of last things of that old way of life of fresh made from the cow's milk salted butter and the soda bread, the home bacon and that delicious bacon fat to fry an egg in.. the pot of home grown spuds on the table, cabbage and turnip.. the desserts of queen of pudding and stewed apple or pies and homemade custard ... .the BlackBerry jam.. and the dressing up for mass on a Sunday.. neighbors sharing boiled eggs and tea on the bog.. etc Yes, the travelling shop was the last surviving remnant of a different way of rural life...

[@martinkeary8187]

Lovely memories.

[@Eddie-ev9bv]

You could say that the travelling shop is back again, as Super Value and Tesco have vans out delivering shopping to homes , which have been purchased on line. The wheel has done the full circle!

[@AhHighlights]

​@@Eddie-ev9bvNot even remotely the same thing.

[@mitch2620]

I left Ireland in 1979. Born and raised in Mayo. These films bring a tear to my eye.

[@nobodynoone2500]

Thank you for preserving and sharing this history. Always things change yet stay the same. Stay close to your neighbors and fellow countrymen. We only live one life.

[@annhennessy178]

I remember these shops from my youth in tullow in Newport County tipperary my mother god rest her would take us up the passage to the road and we, d always get a sweet from the man my mother loved buying chef sauce as the shaking off the van on the road always loosened the sauce in the bottle we had no inside toilet of fridge or esb but we were happy in 1970

[@OscarOSullivan]

Extra Special Bitter

[@mairesavage6815]

I love the 1980s...Golden era in some ways..hard too..harder times ..that's life..@paddy Sullivan VHS 📼 1990s..

[@drewsimpson5967]

Nice video. Bernard o'Halloran liked his bread alright.

[@GhastlyCretin]

Loved his bread, despised combs.

[@pascalennis9123]

He wwasnt on the atkins diet thats for sure

[@pascalennis9123]

I wonder did he sell pies aswell

[@hangedups2608]

😂

[@Eddie-ev9bv]

How did he survive a winter in that ramshackle "house" with a hole in the roof and broken windows?

[@johnwayneonacid1366]

It was common back then if you had a van to do a few nixers as money was tight. I remember seeing my secondary school teacher selling food from his parked van in the Slane 1982 Rolling Stones gig. McElroy ye Legend.🤘

[@eamonhannon1103]

I was at the Stones that day . Great music . Drunk as a skunk !

[@peadarmacconnmhaigh4337]

I have a memory as a child on holiday in Tulla in the late 1970's or early 1980's visiting family and walking down Tulla high hill to go to Mass. I wonder if my memory is right and the church is near that high hill? I also remember a travelling shop that used to visit my mum's home farm in Mullingar and the excitement of it arriving. Such good memories of going to Ireland as a child.i met the kindest people I ever met back then in Ireland.

[@nobodynoone2500]

Not a big fan of google, but I bet street view might help. Memories are precious.

[@derekdevaney2242]

Indeed your memory is right… the church in Tulla is on the hill, Tulla is known as the wind swept hill

[@peadarmacconnmhaigh4337]

@@derekdevaney2242 thank you Derek for confirming this. I have very nice memories of Tulla and the farm near it where my family and I used to stay. Lovely quiet place with lovely country people. Blessed times.

[@ProFTowN]

ahh the old irish..great actors..

[@elizabethburns-rj3qy]

Thanks for sharing your footage of yesterday's. In my home town Derry Northern Ireland we still have mobile shops continuing the old tradition of arriving in housing estates and elderly home area's which is great to see ❤ from Ireland ⚘🌈🌍5:08

[@kevinloftus8122]

I remember in 1979 in ballybofef co donegal climbing a tree as an eleven year old watching the van man coming from 2 miles away on Wednesday great memories

[@alisonlaing5626]

I,m from Wales and remember these kind of shops.......round our old housing estate............one for bread/cakes............on for soft drinks/fizzy aswell.............and maybe others etc...........the good olde days etc....................

[@Khatoon170]

Thank you for your wonderful cultural documentary channel. In the past only travel aboard or looking for books to learn new information. Nowadays KZbin channels as open universities for every one google is our library. I looked up for meaning of traveling shop means company or shop that makes travel arrangements for people . Ireland is very beautiful and have great history too . County Clare in Ireland or known as nicknamed banner county . Motto true to our heritage. Clare name derives from Irish word means level surface .

[@UndiscoverdGenius]

This was a tradition in Appalachia in America as well

[@Khatoon170]

Clare county have natural attractions such as Lisdoonvarna town where’s love , history , traditions. Father ted house . Historic island Scattery island . Many great golf courses. Loop head and lighthouse. Fanore beach sandy paradise and visitors explore world famous natural landscapes. Ailwee caves . Bunratty Castle folk village. Marvel at wonder of cliff of Moher Ireland most famous natural attractions. Thank you for giving us chance to read learn new information improve our English as well . Best wishes for you your family friends.

[@eamonhannon1103]

As I recall , we called the travelling shop “the bun man “

[@jerrycarr]

Very Nice

[@prefeitobear9209]

Irish people are fascinating.

[@peterkiernan1668]

Mr.O’Leary drove a van like this in my area,great flash back.

[@kerrysupporter]

Fine looking bread

[@pascalennis9123]

I used to love that bread ,cut with the oniony knife

[@shaungilmartin1505]

I remember the travelling shops in South kilkenny in the 60's. as kids we'd be out for our sweets and comics during the wet days of the Summer holidays

[@enhancesoutheast5964]

What was that rusty pick up truck at the start...??? Cool Jews Jaws harp music.. And that box shaped fiddle.. Wow! The mellow tone from it.. This video is a treasure.. ❤

[@nobodynoone2500]

The pickup is a 1939-1947 dodge. Not sure what year, but most had that same grille.

[@enhancesoutheast5964]

@@nobodynoone2500 it's probably long since turned to iron oxide.. Bur how did it end up an Irish small farm.?

[@tomasoionnaigh4855]

Liam o Connor from Freshford done this in the 60s,70s and early 70s.

[@johnking5174]

Watching this, it is like we have entered the TARDIS and went back to Ireland of the 50s and not the 80s. Seems some parts of Ireland are probably still like this now in 2023.

[@jakecavendish3470]

These still exist in Co. Down, although mainly just veg and bread these days

[@sandraswift3489]

Hes not had. A cuppa since last week good man put kettle on.x

[@fla0741]

Looks like Bernard might have people combing over tonight

[@johnking5174]

Why does Ireland of 1982 look like 1952? Seems Ireland then was decades behind the rest of Europe.

[@andyarmstrong1493]

Loving the registration number!

[@rudidedog243]

My dad used to drive an ambulance for the local Red Cross, an old ford transit and it had a Clare reg, right over the back door where the poor unfortunate casualty was stretched in was the most inappropriate reg 800 DIE

[@andyarmstrong1493]

@@rudidedog243 Perhaps that might be just right 😆

[@rudidedog243]

@@andyarmstrong1493 yeah always gave me a laugh, I remember going to car rallys in it when we were kids, sandwichs and tea waiting for somebody to get hurt...... innocent times.

[@patscanlan2678]

Bernard was more in need of a travelling barber....👱👱👱

[@wc6220]

Sounds like a pat short comedy sketch set in oz...... 😂😁😀

[@johnking5174]

Just what I was thinking

[@mikesweeney651]

Uber Eats of the 80s 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@annedonnellan6876]

Deliveroo

[@fiddlejohn9305]

Are there still any traveling shop vans operating today?

[@TheLastAngryMan01]

It’s not exactly the same thing, but in the west some of the supermarkets (principally Super Valu) will deliver like this.

[@crazychicSHENA]

Mom and Dad and my granny who are all from Ennis Ireland said" 80's Ireland was so Fun and family organized in the farming industry on there farm. Now with All The E.U. sympathy lover's and illegal immigrants it's Changing in places like Dublin😮🤷🏼‍♀️.

[@mayoconnor3942]

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@sarahanderson2601]

Hey is there any people with the last name Curry. ,( County Clare Felamyage) thank you 👍🏼

[@higgy636]

PIE 55

[@seamusolunacy]

Ireland is changing now. My mother is from Ennistymon . She remembers a pedlar selling his wares in the 40s. Known as the Jew man. Local kids used to skip behind taunting him. 'You killed our lo ord you killed our lo ord. ' True story. 😅

[@serbkebab2763]

Did they accept Apple Pay?

[@NickMullet]

That Jews Harp is brutal 😂 strange choice.

[@o00scorpion00o]

If the Current Irish Government keep applying more and more tax on energy the Irish people will be back to living in poverty, many are struggling now as it is with massive taxes on petrol, diesel, heating oil Gas and electricity, people can hardly afford both heating and electricity as well as run their cars, these days as the Government must tackle climate change by making sure energy is unaffordable except for the wealthy and politicians themselves. Ireland is a tiny Island country and has no impact on climate one way or the other yet we're being punished by extortionate tax on energy as if we're the ones causing climate change, all the Government of Ireland are doing today is pushing more and more people into poverty.

[@user-bk3gn7wl1e]

I’m from Donegal and I believe these people should leave to speak English properly . Some gossip out of them.