Dolores And Paddy Part 2.flv

Did you get cash, or payment of any kind for the smuggling? Did you have transactions? No, all cash. Did you get cash, or payment of any kind for the smuggling? Did you have transactions? No, all cash. Definitely, definitely all cash, because if you were smuggling the stuff over to somebody...which I did for people who came up from Dublin actually. Are ya serious? Oh yeah, there was one man in particular who came up every Thursday Are ya serious? Oh yeah, there was one man in particular who came up every Thursday at two o’ clock to Lifford, and all the people around the district who smuggled out all the stuff, all gathered up and it up to this man and this lorry, and he paid out. and all the people around the district who smuggled out all the stuff, all gathered up and it up to this man and this lorry, and he paid out. They were all standing in a queue, and I was one of the ones standing in the queue, waiting to get my cash. all gathered up and it up to this man and this lorry, and he paid out. They were all standing in a queue, and I was one of the ones standing in the queue, waiting to get my cash. So it was all cash, there were no cheques, no nothing. No promises. And you were going by the market were you? You didn’t have smuggling to order, just whatever the market needed? That’s grand. Were there any changes of merchandise during your years of smuggling? You know, say it started off with tea, did it graduate onto other necessities? It graduated on to nearly everything as I said before, like candles and Sunlight Soap and Razor Blades and tea and sugar and all that sort of thing. You know you could’ve got money for anything, You could have smuggled over anything, in particular clothes. Because over here, you had to have clothing coupons, and you got a book with clothing coupons. You could only buy, say for instance, one suit. You know you couldn’t go and buy a whole range of clothes. You had to have coupons, even for a hankerchief. say for instance, one suit. You know you couldn’t go and buy a whole range of clothes. You had to have coupons, even for a hankerchief. Even for a hankerchief. Now in Lifford, there were several clothes shops in Lifford and you didn’t have coupons. So you could’ve went over there. You could’ve walked from Strabane to Lifford, and you dressed like a ***, and come back dressed like a Lord Mayor. Now in Lifford, there were several clothes shops in Lifford and you didn’t have coupons. So you could’ve went over there. You could’ve walked from Strabane to Lifford, and you dressed like a ***, and come back dressed like a Lord Mayor. And all your old clothes all ended up in the Foyle. Tell me, was the smuggling two-way? Was there smuggling from here over, and from Lifford into here? Ah well eventually it did become two-way, because one time there was a big scarcity of whiskey here. I remember actually going to Dublin and filling my car with crates of whiskey, and bringing them over here, and making a good profit. Oh aye, that’s quite true. Was there ever any poitín done? No I never had any dealing with poitín I didn’t like that word at all! Were you ever wrong-footed by anybody that you might have smuggling for, or accidentally wrong-footed by anybody? Were you ever wrong-footed by anybody that you might have smuggling for, or accidentally wrong-footed by anybody? I was my own boss. I didn’t depend on anybody. Cash was cash, end of story. And you knew you had market… Cash was cash, end of story. And you knew you had market… …and I knew I had a market. And you knew you had market… …and I knew I had a market. Did you have any contacts in the authorities? You know that, maybe might have on the periphery made use of your services or anything like that? Yes, I had quite a few. In this sort of game, ye can’t divulge names, under no circumstances. Oh no and we’re not looking for names. But I had a couple of people who were very helpful, very friendly, and they enjoyed what I was getting them. I love your turn of phrase Paddy it is lovely. When did the decline begin? Well by the way this went on for some time, you know? Into the 80s? Yes, oh it did. Into the 80s? Yes, oh it did. And into the 90s maybe? Yes, oh it did. And into the 90s maybe? Yes, then it changed from different things now. I remember in one particular instance, one thing that I did smuggle, you’ll hardly believe this, but I actually smuggled a seven tonne lorry. Eh? A seven tonne lorry, during the fuel shortage. And let me tell you how that happened. In the Free State there was no coal. With a result that the bogs of Ireland was nearly dug out by transporting turf to the Phoenix Park in Dublin, which built turf stacks miles long for the emergency, you know? And this man, from way over the country, asked me, would it be possible for me me to smuggle this big lorry across the border. And I said I would, empty, because he was going to take it down to where they were making big money at the Phoenix Park in Dublin. So I arranged to meet him at a certain place in the town, we changed car and we changed money of course and I set off with a friend of mine, and at three o’ clock in the morning we set off. I intended to go out through Clady, out the Urney Road. I had it planned to every detail except one thing, one wee thing. I forgot all about the railway gates out on the Urney Road. So whenever we drove out there - and we were flying - and we saw these big red lights in the middle of the road. Then the blood pressure started to function. So anyway I made my friend jump out although he thought I was mad. I said ‘jump you out and open them bloody gates’. So he jumped out and opened the gates, and I drove through and he went to get into the cab and I said ‘no, go on back and close them’, because if there’s anyone following us it’ll give us a wee chance. I said ‘jump you out and open them bloody gates’. So he jumped out and opened the gates, and I drove through and he went to get into the cab and I said ‘no, go on back and close them’, because if there’s anyone following us it’ll give us a wee chance. And he went back and closed the gates and I made up my mind that nothing, and I meant nothing was gonna stop me, go on back and close them’, because if there’s anyone following us it’ll give us a wee chance. And he went back and closed the gates and I made up my mind that nothing, and I meant nothing was gonna stop me, until I got over the bloody bridge at Clady. And nothing did stop you? So I took it on to Lifford, back to the wee den I had, and he was coming up to collect the lorry the next day from Dublin. So I took it on to Lifford, back to the wee den I had, and he was coming up to collect the lorry the next day from Dublin. But, I made sure that he wouldn’t collect it, unless I had crossed my hand with silver. You see? So anyway, I took half the engine into the wife’s mother’s house, I took half the engine parts, and when he arrived the next day and gave me the money, I gave him half the engine back. And we were both happy and away he went. Aw it was a great trade wasn’t it? I gave him half the engine back. And we were both happy and away he went. Aw it was a great trade wasn’t it? Tell me Paddy, what did your family think of this smuggling? Scared to death. Scared to wits, scared to death. They didn’t know what time I was going to come in at. It was always five, six o’clock in the morning before I got home because I’d be lying out in rushes or lying out in fields watching rivers and watching patrols and all of that sort of thing you know? This is a thing you have to do. You have to pave the way. The thing about it too, I can’t understand why I’m living to this age. Lying out in old wet fields, all night! I remember one morning, about five o’clock in the morning I came into the house, my own wee house. and I had two chairs out in the middle of the floor and I started to count my money. My father and mother heard me and they came up and they saw this pile of money, and both of them nearly had heart attacks. They never, never saw money like that in their lives. So I’m sure my father’s in heaven, but I gave him a lock of money and he kept it in his waistcoat pocket. It must have been there until it got blue moulded. You're priceless!