School: Barradubh (Sixmilebridge)

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1. Old Trades - Basket-Making (continued)

   

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   covered with part of Crohane wood. The O'Connell family were therefore reared near the woods. They were independent farmers and sold large numbers of trees and hazel rods and spars. Donnchadh early in life developed a love for the woods and became a skilled craftsman in woodwork. He saw hundreds of baskets and Sciathóga made and actually made them himself. He understood the difficulties under which basket-makers worked.

   When he heard of Denis Thade Shea's plan for working indoors he set to work and improved on the "patent." He got a peck basket which would contain ten-and-a-half stones of potatoe no more and no less. He measured its length and breadth and counted the number of ribs in the length and in the breadth. He made a frame of wood 4 1/2" X 4 1/2" to suit the length and breadth of a peck basket. With an auger he bored holes in the frame to correspond with the number of ribs in the basket.

   This was a huge success. The basket maker can work indoors day or night

   ( A "Peck" Basket was 2 feet by 1 1/2 feet at the mouth by two feet one inch. When Donnchadh Ua Connaill who made the frame now used near to school was a boy he heard of a basket frame used by Jerry Kelly Carraig a Bhainne Glenflesk, but he never saw one and never heard it described. Though I saw hundreds and hundreds of baskets made I never heard of a frame used till the one made by Ua Connaill)

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)
            1. basket-making (~471)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Dómhnall Ua Donnchadha

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Múinteoir