An irishwoman on Corrèze soil

7 Avril 2022 , Rédigé par Ionard Publié dans #Carnet d'Irlande, #Femme d'exception

Croix de Badadan

For my english friends...

An Irishwoman on Corrèze soil ( à lire ici en français )

An April day at the beginning of the 20th century.
A very fresh air enveloped the moor and a light mist rose in the distance above the Vézère. A shy sun darted its rays on the plains of Arvis but Martial the little shepherd had numb fingers. Yet this morning he had put on another waistcoat under his cape and was wearing his usual wooden clogs in which La Tine had added a little more straw. However, it was not hot. He had taken his sheep across the Echameil stream and pushed them towards the Puy du Moulin. A little higher was a large rock where he could protect himself from the cold. Besides, Noirot the dog with the broken ear knew his habits. As soon as the beasts had arrived on the heights the good dog wedged his hindquarters against the rock and waited for his little master. The herd was going to stay there for a little while and Martial could breathe a little. He remained there daydreaming, Noirot lying at his feet.
Suddenly the dog sat up and began to sniff the air and growl…. For sure someone was coming........But Martial saw no one. He climbed onto the large rock and looked down the road towards Bugeat. He rubbed his eyes because he didn't understand what he was seeing. Of course the mist had not completely dissipated and consequently he could see badly… and yet it was indeed a cross which seemed to float in the air….
The peculiar noise of the wheels of a cart left him in no doubt... someone was climbing the Arvis hill. This path had been paved with stones a few years ago, everything that rolled over it made a very particular noise…. suddenly emerging from the mist he discovered the strange procession. He was amazed to see dashing white horses and not oxen pulling the team!
It was indeed a large cross that seemed to sway at every turn that was in the cart, as well as a group of men who seemed to be supporting it. An altar boy, (François, Martial recognized him immediately) led the way in this curious procession, gently swinging a censer in front of him...hence this particular smell that rose to the nostrils of the little shepherd.
“Per moun alme….que quo es aquo”.
Martial, the dog on his heels descended from his rock and approached gently. Suddenly, at the place where the path made a bend well before the Echameil stream, the procession took the track that climbed to the Puy du Moulin, and stopped very quickly. Martial looked for a long time at everyone bustling around the cross. And then there she was, majestic as a challenge to time and nature, planted forever!
It was then that Martial saw a woman he hadn't noticed right away. .. a little woman dressed all in white who advanced towards the cross and touched it lovingly. Her embroidered silk and muslin dress gave her an unreal air. And slowly she looked away towards the plains of Arvis and stopped short on Martial who, petrified, no longer moved. A tender smile appeared on the face of the pretty lady and Martial finally recognized her…..
He had only been in the big house once, but he had very strong memories of it. He had stayed on the doorstep and he had breathed in good smells…. beeswax, hot bread, and another smell he didn't know. Later he will know that it was a smell of cinnamon. That day on the doorstep he had seen the lady who there too had smiled at him.
But it will be an evening of vigil in Terracol that he will really learn who she was.
Marie du Chaumadour, who was called the Great, an outstanding cook, had often worked in the big house and that evening had spoken.
“She is a very brave woman, not proud but who speaks in a funny way. It's because she's not from us, she comes from afar, she comes from an island called Ireland. At a very young age, she took care of the son of Napoleon III, Louis, who was called "Loulou".
And one day she met one of the Cent-Gardes, a guy from our area, Léonard Badadant. And my faith they found each other well since they got married!
Must say that Le Léonard who came out of Tarnac was a handsome guy, you don't often see him like him...a giant! He was over 2m tall!
And a nice guy, always ready to help. I think they must have bought the Arvis property around 1880. They came often and they fixed the house up nicely. Besides, it was Leonardo who decided to take a good route to go up to their house. Hey there, the poor guy, that's where he met his misfortune. A cart full of stones had 'banlée' and they couldn't get it out of there. Well, Leonardo went alone to lift this cart, he thought it was going to do it, but the cart crushed him. Oh my god that's so sad. His poor wife was in great pain, she even took him to Paris in a big hospital, but nothing could save him. She was very unhappy!”
It was a very sad story.
Pensive Martial realized now that where this cross stood was the place where the giant Léonard Badadant had had this terrible accident.
His sheep had arrived at the top of the puy…. He ran to join them.
This Irish lady was called Jane Mac Sweeney born in Irvinestown in Ulster on August 25, 1842. She was the daughter of Michel and Mary Mac Sweeney. His father was Lord Mayor of Cork (Ireland).
She will exercise the functions of tutor to the young Prince Louis, born in 1856, only son of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie.
Léonard Badadant was born on December 29, 1843 in Tarnac, son of Pierre and Jeanne Sepière. At the age of fulfilling his military duties, Léonard colossus of 2m 08 was assigned to the elite unit “Les Cent-Gardes de Napoléon III.
He died on April 15, 1897 as a result of his terrible injuries and will be buried in the Montparnasse cemetery.
Jane will still keep the property of Arvis for a while. In 1911 she offered the church of Bugeat a bell of which she was the godmother.
She died on March 5, 1924 at her Parisian home at 167 rue de Grenelle and was buried alongside her husband.

This cross is still there to bear witness to the love that she, the Irish wife, had for this husband who was so handsome, so strong, so courageous. She will go to her distant island, come back with a large cross made of granite from her country and this cross will be placed on a plinth carved in Limousin granite. Two granites intertwined like their two hearts.
Patterns will be carved on the base. We can still guess some of them: the arms of the city of Cork, the coat of arms of the Cent-Gardes and in the center the Ermine which testified to the love which united the wife and the husband beyond death.

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Béa Kimcat

08/04/2022 10:30

Good...<br /> Biz

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