School: Carrigeengeare (roll number 8672)

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1. Local Crafts - Churn-Making (continued)

   

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   [Drawing]

   for the hoops but placed vertically on opposite sides of the churn to bend both parts.
   Another branch of the cooper's art was the making of wooden butter firkins which were used for packing home-made butter. Formerly, the product of every churning over a considerable period was packed in layers in these firkins till each was full, when the butter was disposed of in the open market. These firkins, of the shape shown below were made by the cooper of ash or oak. These timbers were considered "sweet" and less likely than others to taint the butter. The staves were joined together by a strong iron band at the top. Then, another iron band was forced down to the middle of the firkin. The difficulty was to get the lower butts of the staves into another hoop. Shavings were placed in the middle of the firkin and set alight. This was called "firing" the firkin. The first three hoops known as

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)
            1. coopering (~87)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Margaret Mac Grath

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Carrigeengeare, Co. Leitrim

   Informant

   Mrs Bridget Mac Grath

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   56

   Occupation

   Teacher