School: Port Omna (B) (roll number 2174)
- Location:
- Portumna, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Seán Ó Broin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0057, Page 0148
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- XML School: Port Omna (B)
- XML Page 0148
- XML “The Local Forge”
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On this page
- (continued from previous page)chisel, knife, pincers.
The smith shoes horses and asses. He makes ploughs, harrows, gates, grates, tongs. In manufacturing ploughs, the smith makes a mould of yellow clay, melts the metal in a huge cauldron and when ready pours the molten metal into the mould, which cools down and assumes the shape of the mould.
He does not make shovels or spades, but he repairs them and (hafts?) them.
The shoeing of cart wheels is performed outside the forge on a stone platform shaped just like a cart wheel. The wooden wheel is placed just over this stone model, the iron shoeing is covered with burning turf, and when sufficiently heated, this iron rim is lifted by hooks and slipped over the wheel. Water is poured until the iron is cooled down and contracts.
Forge water is supposed to cure warts.
If the sparks, flying from the red iron while it is being beaten on the anvil, reach any person it is believed he will soon received money.
Smiths at one time had the privilege of performing the contract of marriage under the anvil. It was said they had the power to banish rats. They were sometimes considered as leeches. They cured the ring worm, thrush, extracted teeth.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- John Dillon
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Shanbally, Co. Galway
- Informant
- Mr Michael Dillon
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 90
- Address
- Shanbally, Co. Galway
