School: Newtownmanor (roll number 4905)

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1. Old Houses

   

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   Long ago the people had not such good houses as they have now. When the people used be building a house first of all they used build the walls and they were built on mud. Then they used put on the couples and on top of that they used put what are called scraws and on top of that again they used put sods and then they used thatch it with rushes or straw. On most of the old houses there were half doors and it is said that they were for keeping out the hens or keeping the children inside. The windows were small and often had only one pane in them and sometimes no glass. The kitchen fire was usually placed in the gable but there was no chimney flue and every place used to fill of smoke.
   Portion of the kitchen was lofted this loft containing a bed but more often used for hens. The floor was made of daub and was always damp and cold. The furniture was of poor quality. A table was used which could be fixed to the wall when not in use. A settlebed was placed in the corner which served as a bed by night and a seat by day. The fire was made of peat or bog fur was very plentiful in the local bogs. The lighting of the house was a simple

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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

   Jim Cunningham

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Fawnlion, Co. Leitrim