Time is an odd thing. Before very long at all, each and every one of us will be gone, remembered for just a short while before we vanish altogether, never to be spoken of again. Sometimes little signs of the past emerge, maybe just some ancient graffiti on a wall or maybe an old photo is found. I’ve been thinking about these things since I found out about a whole period of local history that I had never heard about before. Have you ever heard about a man called Hugh Baker from Youghal who managed to escape from a pirate ship bound for a life of slavery? Or have you heard about the 10 people who were taken from their boat near Dungarvan to be sold as slaves in Algiers? There were a whole lot of situations that a slave could end up in depending on their particular skills. Musicians didn’t get the worst deal in the world at all, for the most part. I read about one man who had to play his lute in a harem every day. There are certainly worse ways to be spending time. Imagine being that man, sitting there surrounded by the most beautiful women in the world, playing your lute and thanking God for your skill! If there’s anyone locally who would already know these things, I expect John Young (our most colourful local historian) is our man. I don’t think he ever left a stone unturned while he learned his local facts, and there’s no better man to spin a good yarn either. I stumbled upon these facts myself in a book called “The Stolen Village” by Des Ekin, a fascinating book about the time more than a hundred people were taken from their beds one midsummer’s night in 1631 and brought to the slave market in Algiers. The book is gripping, and I was amazed at how much could be known about ordinary people so far in the past. And some of the most famous people of the last century in America were actually descendents of the pirate captain who raided Batimore! The most amazing tales in the world are true. There must be hundreds of songs that could be written about such things as this, and dozens of movies to be made too. A minister called Devereaux Spratt was taken from his boat as he sailed between Ireland and England in 1641. He held some noisy Christian services in Algiers then, while some of the Irish and English slaves built a little boat to escape in. They got away, and Devereaux Spratt later found his way back to Ireland to become a rector in Michelstown.
I’m off to Michelstown myself next weekend for the Indiependence Festival. I wonder if I’ll run into any of his descendents there! It’s great to have a festival like this so nearby, I’m really looking forward to it. The lineup includes Alabama 3, The Coronas, Delorentos, Jape, O Emperor, Fred, Ladydoll and many more. See www.indiependencefestival.com for more details.
Oh, and keep your diaries free for the Tramore Races in the middle of August too. The Darktown Strutters will play Swing Jazz on Thursday 12 at the finish line after the last race, Liam O Maonlai plays Friday 13, Cathy Davey on Saturday 14 and John Spillane plays on Sunday 15.
(Dungarvan Observer Article 28-7-10)
