School: Kilmore (roll number 13010)

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1. Old Houses

   

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   Long ago the people had no houses but old mud wall cabins. On these cabins there were no chimneys no glass in the windows and they had no wooden doors. The kept the fire in the corner or in the middle of the floor and a hole in the roof to let out the smoke. They had no glass in the windows only a small hole to let in the light. At night they had a shut or a bag of straw instead of panes. For doors they used to make a door of straw plaited made like mats. They used to put pieces of sticks on the inside of the door. Sometimes the doors were made of wattles woven with rods. The floors were made from daub, clay floors they were called. This is the way they were made. The daub is gathered and is wet, tramped, and mixed. It is then brought into the house, thrown on the floor, and levelled with a shovel. It is then allowed to dry. They had no light at night only rush candles. Some times they had lamps made from paint boxes, a for a wick they had a thin piece of cloth. This they left on a stool to show them light. It was called a Billey. Sometimes they had no light at all only a big fire from sticks,

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. earraí
      1. struchtúir de dhéantús an duine
         1. foirgnimh
            1. an teach cónaithe (~2,723)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Tessie Mc Loughlin

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Cill an Dísirt, Co. Liatroma

   Informant

   Francis Mc Loughlin

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   55

   Address

   Cill an Dísirt, Co. Liatroma