School: Baile Locha Riabhach (Clochar)

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1. Houses in Olden Days

   

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   Dwelling houses in olden days were called "mud-houses" and probably got tthis name on account of being built with a mixture of bog mud, turf ashes, clay and very little stone.
   These were mixed together and built in shallow layers and given enough time to dry before putting on the next. The cement houses of the present day are done in something the same manner, except they have more up-to-date methods and material in the building.
   Although the mud houses were made of these simple materials, they lasted a very long time and traces of them may be found in parts of the country yet especially in the poorer districts. The doors and windows were small and in the poorer class dwellings, there were no glass windows, a bag containing bog heather took the place of glass. The roof was rather flat and covered with rushes and long sprigs of heather. The chimney was not raised above the roof and was called a smoke hole. Although the houses were built in low sheltry places, without fresh air, and

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Laurence Conwey

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Killeenadeema, Co. Galway