School: Dún Ceann Fhaolaidh (roll number 15499)
- Location:
- Dunkineely, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Seaghan Mac Cuinneagáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1038, Page 300
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- In some places in the district flax was grown until seventy years ago and again for a short period during the great war. It is not now grown in the district at all.
Flax usually followed lea corn and went through the usual procedure. Flax dams are still pointed out and in turfcutting the seeds of flax can still be seen where flax used to be steeped. When the flax was dried it was placed on the road and the wheel of a loaded cart was passed over it to make it pliable. It was then ready for scutching. There was a scutch mill on the Oily river at Bruckless but evidently hand scutching was also practised. Hacklers also did their bit before the flax was spun. It was spun at home and woven by weavers into cloth. This linen was made into sheets, shirts etc. Sacks were made out of the coarser type. Some of these old linen sheets are still in existence which prove the splendid texture of this cloth.
