School: Clochar na Trócaire, Béal Átha na Sluagh
- Location:
- Ballinasloe, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Sr. M. Oiliféar
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0029, Page 0118
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- (continued from previous page)Churning usually takes three quarters of an hour. It is nearly always done by hand, but there are special churns which have to be worked by foot. We know when the butter is made because the creams starts to break, that is when it turns into little white lumps. Gradually they get bigger and they become yellow and after a couple of minutes it is one great lump of lovely butter.
The cream has to be a certain temperature when put into the churn. In Winter a little hot water has to be added. When the butter is made, the buttermilk has to be removed from the churn. Then the butter is washed in the churn and taken out by means of butter spades. It is put into a basin of cold water and it is washed. It is then taken out and put on the butter board, salted and made into rolls.
There are many stories told about butter-making such as evil-minded women abstracting the butter from their neighbours churning. There is a story told about a(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Mrs Eily Ahern
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Garbally Demesne, Co. Galway
