School: Iubhrach (roll number 8074)
- Location:
- Uragh, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Cristíne Ní Shíoda
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0189, Page 241
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- Flax was grown by nearly every farmer about seventy years ago, in my district.
When the flax was ripe it was pulled and tied in sheaves. The sheaves were soaked in water, bog-water usually, and were left soaking for about a week. They were then taken out and spread in a field to dry. When left in this way for eight days, the flax was gathered and brought in. A line of rods were placed above the fire and the flax was dryed again on this "flake" as it was called.
When this was done, the flax was beetled, that is, it was knocked thoroughly with a beetle until it was fine.
After being beetled it was usually threshed against a block of wood. It was then hackled. The hackle was like a spinning wheel with sharp steel rods. like thick knitting needles set in wood. The flax, already fairly fine, was drawn over the steel pins until it was very fine in part and a coarser part was left for the coarse linen.
Now, it was cloven. That is, it was(continues on next page)
- Collector
- M. Mc Sharry
- Address
- Laghta, Co. Leitrim
