Volume: CBÉ 0481 (Part 1)
- Date
- 1937–1938
- Collector
- Locations
Archival Reference
The Main Manuscript Collection, Volume 0481, Page 0129
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“Long ago they used make candles...”
(continued from previous page)the pot of boiling water. Twould all come to the top. They'd have to keep the water hot. They'd have griosach all round it on the floor.
They'd make the wicks then and put nine or ten of them on a rod, or "skivver". They'd have ten or twelve "skivvers" & wicks on them all.
They'd dip their fingers in the pot and pull it down the wick to make it stiff so that it would go down in the pot straight. They'd dip them wan by wan and lay them on the frame of the table.
They used make plenty candles that way but very dirty candles though, very soft. The candles were used mostly for cattlehouses They used have a place for the candles in the cow house, a 'Skunce" they called it. You'd hear 'em saying when they'd be going out to milk the cows or feed the horses or whatever twould be: Is there candles in the "Skunces".
Nearly all that kind of work was done with the candle light. That's why they used make them, and they weren't very particular then whether they were dirty or not. I often remember to be working, milking cows & feeding them with candlelight.