Robert French - Celtic Cross, Aran Islands.

One of our first photos from Inismore on the Aran Islands...As per Sharon the Cross was carved by the Farther of Pádraig Pearse. James Pearse, established a stonemasonry business in the 1850s a business which flourished and provided the Pearses with a comfortable middle-class upbringing. Pearse's father was a mason and monumental sculptor, and originally a Unitarian from Birmingham in England... swordscookie ( /photos/swordscookie/ ) aka Sean Mulligan tells us about footwear called Pampooties which were used extensively on the island...Beachcomber provided the following, "They are formed of a single piece of untanned hide folded around the foot and stitched with twine or a leather strap. Hide from the buttocks was most often used. The hair was usually left and this improved the shoe's grip. The raw hide is kept flexible by use and the constant damp conditions of Western Ireland. However the shoes are not made to last. They are prone to rot and were usually kept for as little as a month or less. ... "...Photographer: Robert French. .Collection: The Lawrence Photograph Collection ( http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000313414 ) . .Date: 1893. .NLI Ref: L_ROY_05054 ( vtls000251024 ) . .You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie ( http://catalogue.nli.ie )