School: Béal Átha Gearr

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1. Scéal (continued)

   “About forty six years ago the old people were able to make linen from flax and some of it is still to be seen in many places.”

   

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   There were four sticks set up in a shady corner of the garden. The flax was put in a hurdle (a wicker structure) and it was put up on top of the sticks. A fire was set under it and soon it was dry. The owner used to get a number of boys and girls to come on a certain night to break the flax. Everybody used to bring a tool with him (her) which is called a "Tuairgín" for the purpose. They used to go around from house to house and they used to bring a "Tuairgín" and a scutching stock to scutch and break the flax. It was stored in a loft then till winter when the people have time to attend to it. The girls and boys used to gather in again and they used to hackle the flax. It was hackled into three different grades, course; medium; fine. Bags were made from the course stuff; sheets were made for home from the medium and articles for sale were made from the fine fibre. The people of Barnacurragh had a bleaching green for bleaching the flax when it was half spun but when the landlord came in power he forbade the use of a bleaching green and now that field has got so wet and marshy that it is intraversible. When their nights work was over the boys and girls used to get potatoes and herring for supper

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   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Bríghid Ní Fhéinneadha

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   15

   Address

   Barnacurra, Co. Galway