John O’Mahony (73) of Coolroe grew up in the village of Glenbeigh and has a great knowledge of the village people and their occupations. His own father was a small farmer, and ran a dance-hall in the village. While looking over the strand at Rossbeigh, he recalled the local women, who would pick cockles, mussels and periwinkles, and cart them on donkey and cart to Killarney for sale. He also spoke about the mass emigration out of the place after the Emergency period. This recording concluded with the history of horse racing on Rossbeigh Strand.
Keywords: horse racing, Rossbeigh, beach, village, Glenbeigh, south Kerry, shellfish, cockles and muscles, periwinkles, donkey transport, fish selling, Killarney market
