School: Whitecastle (roll number 10231)

Location:
Whitecastle, Co. Donegal
Teacher:
George Mc Cahey
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1116, Page 260

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1116, Page 260

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  3. XML “Houses in Olden Times”

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  1. The houses of the people in Ireland long ago were different from what they are now. The people made them a different shape from what the people make them now.
    Long ago they built eight or ten houses all together in one cluster. The reason of this was that when an enemy would come to fight, the people would gather out of every house and drive off the enemy.
    These houses were made of a round shape and were thatched with heather, straw, flax, or rushes. Heather and flax were two of the best materials for the roof. The floor was generally made of clay tramped hard. There was only one apartment in each house.
    There was no chimney built inside of the house to take up the smoke from the fire. There was just a hole in the roof to let out the smoke and it did not take it up very well, so the rest of it had to come out through the door.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. objects
      1. man-made structures
        1. buildings
          1. residential buildings (~2,723)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Andrew Taylor
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Drung, Co. Donegal
    Informant
    Mrs Taylor
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    56
    Address
    Drung, Co. Donegal