School: Guaire (Goorey) (roll number 7929)

Location:
Goorey, Co. Donegal
Teacher:
Úna M. Montgomery
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1124, Page 25

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1124, Page 25

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  1. XML School: Guaire (Goorey)
  2. XML Page 25
  3. XML “Homemade Toys”

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  1. Different kinds of toys are still made locally. Thread spools are cut in half and a peg is driven down the hole in the centre and the top of this is spun round quickly with the fingers and it spins for some time. This is called a "spinning jenny".
    Guns are made out of branches of elder bushes called "boor-tree bushes". The centre is burned out with a red iron and a stick is made to fit this. When charged at both ends with raw potatoes the rod is pushed down and the gun lets a report. This is called a "boor-tree" gun.
    Snares are made for wild birds such as curlew, lapwing, and snipe out of plaited horse hair and made into a "gasc" and set round a water hole the birds caught by the head or feet.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
        1. entertainments and recreational activities (~5,933)
          1. toys (~1,598)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Robert Platt
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    13
    Address
    Malin Head, Co. Donegal