Tales from Irish folklore: Did you know the first shoemaker was from Carrick-on-Suir?

Eva Osborne

Did you know the first ever shoemaker was from Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary?

In the Anthology of Irish Folk Tales, Aideen McBride relays the tale of The First Ever Brogue Maker.

It was once a normal thing to have no shoes, and people got on with what they had, maybe avoiding the rocky roads and pebble shores, she said.

"There was a young man living near Carrick at that time of the name of Sean O'Dwyer. He was at a house dance one night when he saw Eileen Phelan, and she captured his heart. He asked Eileen out to dance and the two of them were dancing away mightily.

"Now there was another fella at that dance. Capeen Derg he was known by - red cap, he was one of the fairy people and he had had an eye on Eileen himself. He was mad with jealousy watching Sean and Eileen Ay around the room, but he could do nothing about it.

"He had been planning to tell Eileen that night that he loved her, but up to that time he had never spoken to her and there was no promise between the two of them. Sean had done nothing wrong in dancing with her and Capeen Derg had no right of complaint.

"Out of sheer spite, Capeen Derg got a thorn and, unseen by the room, placed it on the floor where Eileen was dancing on a spot where she would step on it."

In the tale, sourced from 'Will Handerhan the Irish Fairyman and Legends of Carrick by John O'Neil', Eileen's foot came down on the thorn and she hit the floor.

"Sean helped her over to sit down and others came to remove the thorn. Where could such a thorn have come from? The woman of the house had swept and scrubbed before the dance began. It was clear, though, that Eileen would do no more dancing that night.

"Sean helped the poor girl home, as she limped along trying to keep her sore little foot off the ground. Sean left her at her father's door and continued his way.

"As he walked, he mused over the question of where the thorn came from and how it got on the floor. Eventually he concluded that there had to have been some devilment in the whole event. Just about that time he heard voices.

"He stopped walking and listened carefully. He followed the sound and there in the ditch he saw three little people - leprechauns, chatting and working away. Sean wasn't too sure what they were working on.

"They had little pouches of skin pulled over a wooden implement and they were stitching and sewing and chatting way."

It was then that one of the little fellows pulled the pouch off of the wooden tool and put it on his foot.

'Now; he said to his companions, There's a brogue for you, and if the girl had been wearing one of these tonight, that thorn of the Capeen Derg's could never have pierced her foot.

"Sean burst in among the three and chased them until he caught one. The other two had disappeared.

'Let me go! let me go!' shouted the leprechaun, T'll give you a bag of gold if you just let me go.'

'I don't want your gold, said Sean, 'Show me how you make one of those things so my Eileen won't hurt her feet again.

"A brogue? asked the leprechaun, relaxing and flattered that a man like Sean would want to learn his craft. 'No problem."

According to McBride, Sean spent the rest of that night watching and listening as the leprechaun took him through all the stages of making a shoe.

"He was a good learner and the leprechaun enjoyed teaching him. Come the morning he had learned the basics and was set to make his first pair of shoes.

"Sean was delighted and thanked the leprechaun for teaching him, the leprechaun left him with the tools and implements saying, Not a bother, and if ever you need help in the craft just give me a call, and away he disappeared.

"Sean headed back to Eileen's house with the pair of shoes. She was surprised and a little confused until he showed her what to do with them. With the shoes on her feet she would walk about almost anywhere and not have to worry about her hurting her little feet. She was delighted and wore them every day and everywhere, including the following Saturday when she walked down the aisle to marry Sean.

"All who saw Eileen's shoes admired them. The priest asked Sean if he would make a pair for his niece and other neighbours followed suit. Soon the entire neighbourhood were walking around in shoes and Sean was kept busy as the only shoemaker around."

Not long after this Sean was sent for by the king, who heard he could make shoes.

With a group of neighbouring kings visiting the next day, the king said he wanted to impress them, and asked Sean to make shoes for him, the queen, and all of their children.

Sean said he could, but said he would need help. Then, the little Leprechaun appeared beside him.

"I was up on Sleivenamon and I heard you saying you needed help, said the little man.

"That's great hearing you have, said Sean and the two set down to work away together making the shoes. By the morning there were shoes for the king, his queen all the children and the lords and ladies.

"The king was very pleased. He paid Sean well and kept him close at hand to look after his shoe needs.

"Sean and Eileen looking back on things later, were quite happy that the Capeen Derg had put that thorn on the floor or things might have had a very different ending."