School: Finiskill (roll number 13075)
- Location:
- Finiskil, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Cathal Ó Floinn
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0219, Page 381
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- (continued from previous page)enjoy cabbage right except he could find it grinding under his teeth. Pepper was generally used as a flavour for boiled cabbage. Another food which might perhaps be more aptly described as a dessert was "flummery". This was prepared in the following manner. Oaten meal or mill seeds were steeped in spring water in a crock or deep dish for a period of a fortnight or three weeks. The whole was then poured on to a strainer and the liquid allowed to run through. This liquid was then poured into a pot or saucepan and boiled for half an hour. When boiled it was allowed to cool and was found to have set like jelly. This jelly like substance has a brown colour and a slightly bitter taste; it is known as flummery. While the water and oat meal are being steeped people often drink some of the liquid or "sowens" as it is called and regard it as a very cooling beverage on a summer day.
People usually ate supper rather late at night as clocks or watches were rather uncommon formerly. The supper as already stated consisted of oat porridge and buttermilk. The only occasion upon which any special food is eaten locally is Shrove Tuesday night also known as pancake night. Upon this night people eat pancake but what the origin of the custom is I have never discovered.(continues on next page)
