Ned there. The dog name would alternate between Topsy and Floss. If a Topsy died, the new pup would be Floss etc
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We had a mare ass we called Molly after a neighbour whose false teeth were a bad fit. Molly (the donkey) had a foal once. We call him Jack.
Donkeys were a savage trade a while back. Dunno what they are making nowadays.
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In laws are on their 13th Jess
That’s a fab pic
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I cropped out the grandfather. He could train his dogs to do anything. Gifted with them. Never had any bother bringing cows in for milking. Let the dog do the work.
He’d have them running up ladders to top of hay shed and doing all kinds of tricks
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Border collies?
Most intelligent breed
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What use do farmers have for donkeys? - inquisitive townie. They always struck me as good for nothing but being a pet?
A Spanish donkey would ate a pallet.
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In a different era and in poorer agricultural land than you come from donkeys were incredibly valuable animals. Depending on circumstances, donkeys were used to bring home hay from meadows on elongated ass-carts but the greatest attribute of a good ass was his sure-footedness in the bog.
Bogs and turf-banks were glorified swamps, drains and 10’ bogholes abounded, but with some inbred innate cunning Neddy (all donkeys were called Neddy) manage to steer a path to the road or lane where the turf were then loaded to larger trailers for transport home. Old people might mourn a death locally with a sigh and proclaim “it could have been worse had the ass died and the turf on the bog”
I have a well to do, educated and wealthy cousin who acquired a large property in Cavan about 20 years ago. On top of that he’s developed an affection for the noblest of animals. I’m unclear as to whether he’s operating a shelter for them or not but at the prestigious Ballinamore annual Show he’s pictured with assorted donkeys and nephews and nieces aboard hoovering up rosettes like taking snuff at a wake….
Donkeys are superb animals, docile, amiable and occasionally energetic when asked to gallop. The donkey derby at the aforementioned Ballinamore Show is deemed a more valuable equine event than the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Now for you.
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Informative! Gurra mile mo chara.
Superb. That’s really put the horse whipping crowd in their place.
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The bogs in Limerick are a different animal to the ones we’d be used to @anon67715551 ,they drive the car and trailer here onto the bog and load up.We had an hour’s trek in the 35 up the mountain opening and closing gates just to get there then spend a day after they were bagged dragging them out to the road one by one to load them.The quad was a savage invention,it’s the modern Neddy.Very few of them in this part of the world.
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Turf is shite for heat anyway, I could never understand it, all that work fir a substandard product
My uncle had a donkey called Ferdinand
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All the donkeys in Laois seem to wind up on the football team for some reason.
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I remember one bog we went to and needed the double wheels to get out
The one behind our house you’d probably get away with bringing a car and trailer up most of the way I suppose. You could make clean shit of the car all the same. You’d be better off with a tractor or maybe a four times four
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Guys is cutting turf not illegal? Eamon Ryan says that if you want pear products, the best thing to do is import them from South America
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No, it can be cut.
I don’t remember ever being in a bog that didn’t often need twin wheels. They used to have a poor enough design too that the drain ran parallel to the road with only one bridge to get in to 2 or 3 different banks - I’m sure that was called the ‘kish’. Sleepers would have to be laid at that spot to give you any chance at all.
You’ve obviously not seen our hurlers so
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