School: Shivdillagh (roll number 6774)
- Location:
- Shivdelagh, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Thomas Byrne
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0204, Page 179
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- XML “Local Crafts - Scoith Ropes”
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- About fifty years ago in this locality there were no hemp ropes in use. The ropes required for tying hay in back-loads, for tying the cattle in the byres and for leading the donkey from play to place were made at home. They were called "Scoith Ropes." This is how they were made.
In late summer the people went to soft marshy places where tall soft rushes grew and pulled them by hand. The rushes being soft were easy to pull. They were taken to the house and "beetled" i.e. they were tied in small bundles or sheaves and struck with a "beetle" or round block of wood till they became flat. Bundles of about then rushes each (of the beetled rushes) were placed in lops made in a long rush rope. This rope with it's load of bundles was spread on a bare meadow so that the rushes could bleach and harden. If a sign of rain came the rushes were taken inside as the rain would cause them to rot and get brittle. Too much sun was bad for them too. The dew at night gave enough of moisture(continues on next page)
