School: Tobar Rua (roll number 15427)

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1. Candle-Making

   

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   `171
   Candle Making
   The following is the story of candle-making as told to me by an old man.
   "Musha a gradh lookit (look at) the lamp on that table, there was no such things in my young days. If you like I'll tell you about the sorta candles we used to have. This is how the "rush candles" were made. The man of the house used to cut a few bundles o'rushes bring them into the kitchen and peel them, then they were put into a "schib" (basket) and left near the fire to dhry. Then tallow was put into a "grisad" (a boat shaped vessel with a handle at the side and little legs and milted, then the rushes were dipped in the milted tallow. Then they were left on a board to stiffen.

   There was another sort of candle as well, called the "razhen (resin) candles". The "razhin" was put into the "grisad" and milted. Then pieces of rag nine or ten inches long was twisted and dipped in tyhe milted "razhin". These were then left to stiffen. There used to be a "coinnleor" (candle stick) to hold these candles. This "coinnleor" was a piece of twisted iron placed on a wooden stand. It was about nine inches high, on the top was something like a "pinchers" (pincers) or a wooden clothe peg, the candle was put into the little pinchers and *held tight until burned. The "razhin" candles showed a

   *As the candle down, the catch was loosened and the rush pushed up.

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)
            1. candle-making (~728)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Kathleen Gannon

   Gender

   Female

   Informant

   Patsy Keenakan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Keeloges East, Co. Galway