James was sent to meet the midwife and assist her in anyway possible. He was a lean lad of seven years and walked briskly to meet Nora Stanton, the neighborhood midwife. The sheet had been put on the bush to give signal to the midwife that the time for help was at hand. James’ mother was in labor with her fifth child. Nora Stanton was walking across the green fields towards the Kearns Homestead in Fargureens, a small village outside Balla, in County Mayo. James saw her coming in the distance and ran to meet her and carry her black bag. They walked up the road together. Mrs. Stanton entered the house and put on her white starched apron. Soon Delia Riley, the second neighborhood midwife, arrived and did the same.

Inside the three room cottage, Ellen (Kilgallon) Kearns was in labor assisted by her mother, Bridget Kilgallon. Thomas (Dan) Kearns, the man of the house was nearby. James joined his sisters Bridie, Lena, and Kathleen and played outside. They were not to come in the house. They had to wait for the new baby. An older cousin from America had been visiting that day and was summoned to play with the Kearns children on that particular day. Bridie the oldest daughter remembered the fun and excitement of having someone older to play with.

The white aprons for the midwives had been ready for days. The large pot of water was on to boil in the fireplace. The midwives were attentive. The labor for Ellen went on. Finally, after a few hours, a baby girl was born. Anne was her name. Now the count of the Kearns Family was one boy and four girls. After washing the new baby and wrapping her up tightly, Nora and Delia took off their aprons and went into the kitchen for a cup of tea. Minutes later, Ellen called from her bed in the upper room, “Put back on those aprons, I think there is another baby coming!” The midwives donned their aprons in a panic. Sure enough in a few minutes a second baby was born. Margaret was greeted with shouts of glee. “It’s a girl, again!”

From the doorway of the thatched cottage, it was announced, “Twins, twins! Your mom has had twins!” Bridie, the oldest girl and only six at the time had never heard the word ‘twins.’ She thought the midwife was saying WINS. Wins to Bridie was a thorny bush found on the hillside. Bridie thought, “What in the world is that woman talking about?” All the children were invited in to meet their two new sisters Ann and Margaret and to finally see their mother. They looked down in awe at the two bundles. James secretly had been desperately hoping for a new brother. Without any hesitation, he blurted out, “If I knew there were two girls in Mrs. Stanton’s black bag, I would have thrown the bag in Riley’s ditch. James, after his initial disappointment grew to love his new sisters. The twins were an added joy to the growing Kearns Family and the word ‘twins’ would be repeated quite often in the Kearns country household.

This story was told to me by my mother, Bridie Kearns Doherty.

Retold and Written by: Josephine (Doherty) McTague