ABSTRACT
Understanding the current attitudes of the people of Southwest Donegal requires an understanding of their history, their myths, and their lives, as all these are bound up with the land on which they live and from which they wrest a sometimes precarious living. To understand their notions about their means of livelihood, I will here present the views of five farmers, whose ideas about tradition and modernity differ enormously. All five were members of my sample; I have changed some of their names and circumstances slightly to protect their identities but I have been careful to present their views on the past, present, and future of their area fully and accurately. Where possible, I have presented their views in their own words so that the reader may appreciate the differences in their outlooks.
