‘Did you do any smuggling in your youth, Petie?’
I did to be sure. I smuggled cattle across the border for the McMahons amongst others. And for John (Jock) Quinn.
I mind the time we driv thirty fine cattle from the State to Crossbroad. They belonged to Peter Joe Quinn. He was a famous boxer. He was very fond of he’s food and drink. He paid well, mind. The best of them all.
We did this trip in daylight. We hadn’t bought the road. The police barred the road to us. We driv the cattle on into them. One policeman was knocked down. In the confusion we got the cattle turned and back into the Free State. They couldn’t follow us.
The local police didn’t need the trouble. We had the bother with the new ones comin’ in. I mine the time there was six heifers taken aff us and being held in a field be one of them. We called for help from a few neighbours who were savin’ hay nearby. We rescued them. It was the quare blow to lose cattle then worth maybe