Dorothea Jordan

Dorothea Jordan was an Anglo-Irish actress. She was the long-time partner of Prince William, Duke of Clarence, and the mother of 10 illegitimate children by him, all of whom took the surname FitzClarence. She was known professionally as Dorothea Francis and Dorothea Jordan, was informally Dora Jordan, and she was commonly referred to as Mrs Jordan and Mrs FitzClarence.

Community work feasts called Mihill meetings

Farmers often held communal events called Mihill meetings for tasks like cutting turf or haymaking, where neighbors would work for four or five hours without wages. The labor was rewarded with a feast and music provided by a piper.

Saving footwear for special occasions

Peasants frequently walked barefoot for long journeys to save wear on their footwear, carrying their shoes and stockings tied together over their arms. They wore shoes and stockings mainly on the Sabbath and other holidays.

Dancing at Wakes

At Irish wakes during this period, young people often gathered in barns or sheds to dance to the sound of flutes or bagpipes.

Popular Instruments in Cork

In Cork, popular instruments among the wealthier classes included the violin, flute, guitar, and French horn.

Common travel by two-wheeled car

Ordinary people frequently traveled on two-wheeled cars, sometimes sitting in groups of six with their legs hanging near the ground while being dragged at a foot-pace.

Three-day coach journey to Belfast

Traveling from Dublin to Belfast, a distance of just over 100 miles, typically required three days by stagecoach during this period.

Indoor lighting sources

People used rush lights, dip candles, or burning splinters to see indoors as they lacked regular lamps or candles.

Outdoor schooling for peasant children

Children of the peasantry were often taught by a master in a humble hut, or if the weather permitted, in the open air under a tree or hedge.

Meat as an occasional treat

While common families hoped for fish or bacon, meat was a rare treat for most, often separated by weeks or months. When available, it was frequently salted and served alongside potatoes, sometimes flavored with onion or lard.

Simple diet of the common people

Most ordinary Irish people relied on a simple, monotonous diet consisting largely of potatoes, milk, oatmeal, and pulses. A grown man often ate over two kilos of potatoes in a single meal to sustain himself.

Slow travel by horse-drawn coach

By the mid-18th century, stage-coach travel between Dublin and Belfast was difficult, with the 100-mile journey taking three days using a coach drawn by six horses.

Express delivery on foot from Cork

In 1755, a professional runner named David Sullivan offered an express service from Cork to Dublin on foot, guaranteeing a round trip in five days during summer and six days in winter.