Moville.Records

Other.Information

Old photographs Old photos of Moville and the surrounding areas.

Maps Old maps of the two parishes in Moville.

Books Read a history of Moville, and see other references to the area.

Lewis' Topographical Dictionary Extracts from the Topographical Dictionary published in 1837

FHC Records Family History Centre (LDS) film references for Moville records

Moville.Records

The Big White Bay at Stroove

The story.of Curtaintail

An old man belonging to the county Derry sold his farm, scraped together some money, came over to Inishowen, and settled down somewhere near the Drung mountains, in a farm for which he had nothing to pay. He was one day passing through Quigley's Point, and he carried a basket on each arm. One of the baskets contained a few old hens, the other some dozens of eggs, which he was about to dispose of in Derry. His appearance, on the whole, was exceedingly grotesque. Shall I attempt to describe him? Well, then, I must tell you, he wore a long coat extending to near his ankle, and this garment was diversified by about one hundred and one patches, of various contrasting colours, the largest and most conspicuous of which was a piece of bed-curtain, extending to its nether extremity, and on account of which he got the sobriquet of "Curtaintail" by which name, gentle reader, with your leave, we shall henceforth know him. Around this coat, by way of girdle, he had knotted a neatly plaited straw rope. His feet were stockingless, and the toes protruded from an aperture in the front of his shoes.

Seeing an advertisement posted on a wall, his curiosity prompted him to read it; it was a farm of land to be let. He entered a public house, and after staring vacantly about him, was told by the good darn* that, at that particular moment, she was in no mood for assisting mendicants; it was then he inquired about the landlord, who proposed to let the farm, and was told that hs was just then sitting in an adjoining room. The gentleman of property eyeing the strange intruder with a look of sullen sternness, demanded what his business, there was.

"I see," said our friend Curtaintail, "a farm of land to be let, and being told that you are the owner, come to make you a proposal."

"Begone," said the landlord, "I have too many of your class. I have no intention to give lands to such a fellow as you."

Curtaintail said nothing, but, shutting the door, soon disappeared. After the lapse of a few moments he returned, knocked at the door, and being told to enter, presented himself a second time before the landlord. This gentleman grew irritated, and contracting his brows and raising his voice to stentorian pitch, shouted aloud, " Begone, sir, have you not got your answer already."

"I beg to be excused," replied Curtaintail, " it is not land I want; but would you tell me any one who would take £100 at interest?"

"Be seated" said the landlord, mildly; "tell me, have you seen this farm?"

"I have not," said the other.

Ringing the bell, he told the servant to kindly accompany this man to the bailiff's house, and to bear his orders to that functionary to show him the farm which was to be let,

"and," said he, addressing himself to our motley friend, "after you have seen it come back again, and, probably, we will strike a bargain."

Curtaintail did so, and the bargain was made on his return.

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