Ballinamore in 1900?

[jsanders]

What was life back in 1900 in the town of Ballinamore and the countryside surrounding it 

My grandfather James Francis Fox was born in 1891.  He was the son of a cooper, Patrick Fox.  He was the 9th of 12 children born to Patrick Fox and Mary McGovern.  He immigrated to the Uinted States in 1911.

What would school have been like for James Fox in the late 1890's and early 1900's?

What typical activities would pre-teens and teenagers do for fun around that time period? 

What is a cooper and would it be likely that may grandfather (James Fox) would have helped his father in that trade? 

What records in Ireland would remain today, for someone who practiced the cooper trade in the late 1800's and early 1900's

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Jim
 

[Christopher]

Hello Jim,

I've added a new thread on the Irish Resources board -  Life in Ireland - Links. If you look at that thread from time to time you should get an idea what life was like in Ballinamore in the days when your grandfather lived there. There may well not have been a great difference between life in rural Ireland in the late 1800s / early 1900s and the 1930s to 1940s.

The Dictionary of Occupational Titles gives a good description of  a cooper - he was a person who made and repaired barrels. I've no doubt that your grandfather would have helped his father with his trade.

Christopher.