School: Port Omna (B) (roll number 2174)

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1. Old Houses

   

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   Old Houses 19/12/1938

   A great many old houses existed in this district in former times, which are now dilapidated, and are, in some cases, not to be seen at all. It is noted that any of those places where there are houses built now are haunted. For instants - On Dominick St there are a great deal of houses which are quite new. In former times, the houses that were built there had no doors, windows, or even fireplaces. They had a small hole for going in and out through. And they used to light a fire in a tin box, with a hole in the top, on which to boil a sause-pan or a kettle. They had no bed, save a bag of straw with a board underneath it, this was called, "A pallet". It was kept in the kitchen, as they had no other rooms. Those houses were built of canes were built, and mud, plaited together.
   The roof was built of rushes stuck with pitch or tar. Those rushes were procured at the side of the Shannon. In those houses, the floors were made of chipped stones packed together. Those stones would be stuck with clay mixed with water, just the same as if it was cement, and would be left there until it would be firm and dry. If you go out the country you will will see a reasonable amount of half-doors but in the town the doors are all full length. Formerly the people used to burn nearly all timber, but on a

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. buildings
            1. residential buildings (~2,723)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Thomas F. Couser

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Portumna, Co. Galway

   Informant

   Mrs L. Couser

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   45

   Address

   Portumna, Co. Galway