'The term 'Cattle Mart' comes to mind'

'The term 'Cattle Mart' comes to mind'

Ita McClelland describes her teenage social life.

Ita McClelland

Trinity College Dublin

1972

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Ita McClelland

Adolescence and Early Adulthood

Life Story

Co. Armagh

1970's

At age fifteen/sixteen I went with my sister and our friends to guest teas and small local dances ran by football clubs. The guest teas consisted of tea and sandwiches and other savoury items plus cakes, buns etc and after the food was eaten the tables were cleared away and every danced to a live band. t was always country and western music. It was the same at the dances and carnivals. Carnivals were very popular in the late sixties and seventies, with showbands playing in large marquees. Artists like Philomena Begley, Big Tom, Susan McCann and The Indians drew in large crowds.There was a particular hairstyle then for girls who had short hair. It wasn't short, short as the back would have reached the collar or below and locks of hair fell in front of the ear and was pointed. Now my sister Eilish had this hairstyle and to get it to sit perfectly it had to be blow dried after being washed and then cellotape was strategically placed across the lock of hair in front of the ear and stuck firmly to the cheek on either side. Then when the lift came to take her to the dance the cellotape was whipped off and she was away. I don't think Lulu or Twiggy knew about this method, I could guarantee their hairdresser's bills were more expensive that Eilish's.When I was 16 I was allowed to go to the carnivals on an odd occasion and later dances in local halls. I was never too keen on the customs at these dances, where the girls stood along one side of the dance floor and the boys walked up and down past giving them the once over. The term 'Cattle Mart' comes to mind.If a boy asked to buy you a mineral (there was no alcohol allowed at the venues) or asked a girl to keep him the last dance of the night that almost certainly meant he wanted to walk her out to her transport home.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)