School: Baile an tSagairt (roll number 13985)
- Location:
- Ballysaggart, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Prionnsias Ua Coilín
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1039, Page 57
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- XML School: Baile an tSagairt
- XML Page 57
- XML “Lighting”
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- In the chimney gable about three feet from the floor and just a little to the side of the fire there was a hole in the wall. In this hole a “cam” (usually the bottom of an old pot) was placed and some fish oil poured into it. Then a peeled rush was procured and placed in the cam so that about an inch of it appeared above the edge of the cam pointing upwards. (The “peeled” rush in this instance was a rush from which much of the green coat was removed leaving behind the heart and a tiny string of green).When this peeled rush was dropped into the cam it absorbed the oil and swelled up considerably. The end of the rush appearing above the edge of the cam was them lighted and this served as light.This type of lighting was common in the district about fifty years ago.When the rush burned down as far as the edge of the cam it was pulled out or up to about another inch above the edge and so on until it was burned out.The reason or at least one reason for placing the light in this position was to allow the smoke from the rush to go up with the smoke from the fire.(continues on next page)
- Informant
- James Mc Callig
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 80
- Address
- Ballysaggart, Co. Donegal
- Informant
- Margaret Wilson
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 69
- Address
- Ballysaggart, Co. Donegal
