School: St. Joseph's, Illies

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1. Churning

   

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   We have a churn and it is about three feet tall and one foot and a half wide at the top and is about two feet wide at the bottom. The sides of the churn are round and it is about fifteen years old. The various parts are called the crib and the bottom. Butter is made once every week in the winter and is made twice every week in the summer.
   The elder boys and girls does the churning, and strangers that come in during the churning also help which is called a brash. Because it is said that if they didn't that they would bring bad luck on the churning. The churning is done by hand and takes about an hour. The churndash is moved upwards and downwards and sometimes from side to side.
   Water is poured into the churn in Winter to make it easier churned and when it is churned the butter comes on the top of the milk. The butter is lifted out of the churn with a strainer and left in a wooden dish in which clear spring

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. agriculture (~2,659)
            1. butter and churns (~3,280)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Sarah Mc Daid

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Meendacalliagh, Co. Donegal