School: Carraig Áluinn (roll number 16.474)
- Location:
- Carrigallen, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Pádhraic Mag Uidhir
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0228, Page 053a
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- XML “Games which have Completely Died Out - Pegging a King”
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- This game was played with what was called a "peg" top not a "whip" top. The top consisted of a "head" and "spike". The head was generally made by a local carpenter - Pat Mc Mamus of Bredagh and Francey Mc Manus of Carrigallen had "lathes" and these men generally made the tops (heads). The spike was made by Johnny O Neill, blacksmith. All these men are dead long since. The completed top was just like and inverted cone. Sometimes, when the spike was being driven into the head, the latter split. The work was generally done by the blacksmith who placed the wooden head in the forge "vice" and then drove the spike "home". There were "shoulders" on the spike to prevent its going too far up in the head.
The top was spun by rolling a piece of whipcord around the head from the spike upwards. A small piece of the cord was folded underneath at first to prevent the whole falling off, and also the wood was damped all around in the mouth to give the cord a "grip". A piece of leather was attached to the end of the cord which was held in the hand. This was placed between the second and third finger of the right hand and then the top was spun on the road. Most boys were expert at lifting the top off the road whilst spinning, and allowing it to continue to spin on the "heart" of their hand. ("i gcroidhe a dhear nán") This was(continues on next page)
