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Great Grandfather’s Pig

1. The Macdermots of Ballycloran (1843-1847)
2.  
3. Anthony Trollope wrote in heart-beating detail
4. the story of heroic Ireland’s last stand
5. west of the Shannon
6. up around Drumsna and Mohill
7. where the natives sank so low in depravation
8. the pigs were more thought-of than the peasants were
9. anchored to life itself by the pig
10. vessel of all hope
11. banker
12.  
13. The rint could not be paid
14. but the pig was collateral
15. if the crathure died you could seize the pig
16. if the pig died that was that
17.  
18. Low landlord talk then with agent
19. loyal for now
20. were you up at the fair yesterday
21. I was for all the good
22. was himself there
23. he was
24. did he sell
25. he didn’t then
26.  
27. My Great Grandfather had a pig
28. in Castleknock
29. and in the 1950’s
30. the pigman still called once a week for slops
31. I don’t know how my forefathers and foremothers
32. survived the famine
33. I only heard about the pig in the family
34. yesterday
35. and about County Leitrim
36. as though it was yesterday
37. and it’s far from pigs you and I were raised
38. or was it