The 'Tattie Howkers'

They left to be ‘tattie howkers’

As many had done before

They were heading out to Scotland

When they left from Irelands shore

They arrived in Kirkintilloch

Ready for their task ahead

To send the money back to their kin

And keep their families fed

 

Brian Rua O’Cearbhain was

A prophet of Achill Sound

Where in the 17^th century

He spoke words that were profound

 

They came as ‘tattie howkers’

To work for their hard earned pay

Armed with baskets in muddy fields

They’d harvest ‘tatties’ all the day

They’d work in all types of weather

In the wind, the sun, and the rain

Then after a night in their bothy

They were ready to start work again

 

Achill listened and they did take note

Of the words the prophet spoke

“Carriages on iron wheels

Would be blowing fire and smoke”

 

They lay sleeping in the bothy

Weary from their head to their feet

The glow of a slow burning fire

Gave the bothy light and heat

Carbon Monoxide filled the bothy

As they lay sleeping in their bed

As the flames took hold around them

10 young Irish men lay dead

 

The prophet spoke two hundred years

Before the time did come

“The last journey of the carriages

Would bring the corpses home”

Author's Note

In the 1960’s my dad worked for the company that would employ the seasonal ‘tattie howkers’ (potato pickers before the task was mechanised) and we lived a stones throw from where the disaster occurred, we played in the same buildings many times and played with the children of the ‘tattie howkers’ of the 1960’s. I was aware of the disaster and always kept it to mind. Recently I decided to try and make something of the ‘tattie howker’ life and decided to explore what happened to the 10 young men from Achill on their return home. I was surprised to read that the return of the dead had brought a 17th century prophecy to fulfillment. The prophet Brian Rua O’Cearbhain made the prophecy that ‘Carriages on Iron wheels, blowing smoke and fire, would on their first and last journeys carry corpses’. The first train to arrive at Achill station in 1894 carried the dead of the ‘Clew Bay Disaster’ (32 died), the last train to arrive at Achill station carried the young men killed in Kirkintilloch, the prophecy was complete.

Reviews

[deedeekm]

first - love the poem - absolutely love it. Love the story more - though so sad. I worked one year as a teachers aid in a migrant workers program at an elementary school in Florida. Little bitty kids would disappear for a week or a month or more - they traveled to where the crops were coming in. I taught an eight year old how to tie his shoes - he was so proud. He had never been anywhere long enough for anyone to notice that he did not know. I made him a picture book with words from some old coloring books so he could take it with him and he came back from one trip and proudly read every one of the words without pictures. He told me they slept in a van 14 of them. The most coveted position was close to a window, a tiny bit cooler and also because after a week of working in the fields and no real facilities for bathing....well you can guess the rest. As always, throughout history, the headlines are about all of the horrible things that people do. It is good to lift up the poor hard working people. Sorry to get on a soapbox, but you touched a nerve!

[Condor]

I love the sound of this piece completely. You have managed to put the accent into the words which gave me a smile. I had never heard of this story but it certainly was an interesting write that kept me enthralled from beginning to end.
One wonders at the harsh life some people lead and the disasters that we never hear about, perhaps it is because it is such an old story and noone really remembers, I don't know, but you have given it life and revealed a terrible thing.
I loved it very much and everything about the work was perfect.

[Ed Tooker]

Chilling read John, especially with your informative AN...we have lots of migrant workers in Warwickshire...safety conditions are not always what they should be even now...Ed

[Beth Winter]

Fabulous. The poem is intriguing and your note brought it full circle for me. I have visited this part of the would three times so far and each time, I learn more. So much history and such a great way to present it. Well told.

[Poet Cheryl]

Wow! This is a really great poem and story to go with it. I had never heard of these trageties or the prophecy. It is a very sad but beautiful piece. Very nicely done.

[Verslayer]

Brilliant poem John not so brilliant is the sad tale it tells unforunately. I'm a huge tattie fan myself like all Brits are...but I know that due to the same dependence...it cause grief for the Irish and America has become more the richer for it
How does a Scotsman manage to live in England then?
Rob~

[teddybard]

I did this myself as a child life was harsh, but the reality was that all families needed the money just to survive.
Poem brings back old realities in great form.