School: Mohill (2) (roll number 8673)
- Location:
- Mohill, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Éamonn Bairéad
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0215, Page 179
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- (continued from previous page)The smiths use many tools such as hammers, chisels, pinchers, files wrenches of all kinds, a rasp and a crooked knife. The blacksmiths shoe horses and asses. Some of them make ploughs and harrows, shovels and spades and many other things. The forges have wooden roofs on them.
When a blacksmith has a wheel to shoe he gets a flat bar of iron long enough to go around the wheel. He then bends it round to the shape of the wheel which brings the two ends together. The two are then put into the fire until it is very hot. He then take it out of the fire, overlaps the end a little, places it quickly on the anvil and welds it with a sledge and hammer.
He then places it in the fire once more and when hot enough he brings it to the anvil and tidies the weld with a hammer so the weld will be uniform with the rest of the shoeing.
The shoeing is now ready to put on the wheel.
People say if anyone washes themselves in the water that cools the blacksmith's iron he will feel fresh after it.(continues on next page)
