School: Loughill, Longford

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1. Old Houses

   

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   The houses long ago were roofed with slates for the rich and thatch for the people that were poor. The people used to thatch with oaten straw, wheaten straw, and rushes. Heather and rye were also used. The slates were imported. The straw and rye were grown by the farmers. The rushes grew in low lands and the heather was got in a bog. The bed was mostly in the kitchen. It was generally in the warmest part of the house and it was generally a settle-bed. The fireplace was not always in the gable wall. It was often in a corner. The arch was generally made from wattles and clay. On some houses there were no chimneys except a bucket or a box. The Fireplace was often in the centre of the floor.
   There were no glass windows but shutters instead. The floors were made from blue-clay. Half doors were very common long ago. The fuel was generally turf with little or no coal, bog scraws and sometimes upland scraws were used. The light was rush candles. When paraffin oil was first introduce it was burned in a small lamp with a thick wick and it smoked so much that it was used to burn on the hob so that the smoke could go up the chimney. Candles were made locally.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. buildings
            1. residential buildings (~2,723)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Kevin Doherty

   Gender

   Male