Joe-Pat : his Mother's Pride ... Joe-Pat was known to be bright, and his mother, a widow who had worked at the Big House, had done what she could to procure an education for him. The Master of the Hedge School lamented on the fact that there was no way of further developing his education. Joe-Pat showed promise in the arts too, and his poor oul mother gathered up her pennies for the dancing master that took them for lessons at the Crossroads. She had him well turned out, and even had a pair of brogues for the dancing. Here is what Young observed on his travels concerning the love of the common Irish for dancing: "Dancing is so universal among them that there are everywhere itinerant dancing-masters, to whom the cottars pay sixpence a quarter for teaching their families. Besides the Irish jig, which they can dance with the most luxuriant expression, minuets and country dances are taught ; and I even heard some talk of cotilions coming in." (Arthur Young's Tour in Ireland (1776-1779), p. 147).
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