School: Carraig Áluinn (roll number 16.474)

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1. Old Crafts (continued)

   

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   There are not many COOPERS left in the country at present. The coming of the Creamery put an end to their trade and many of them turned to the making of log "trees". since coping by the plough was introduced the loy "trees". Since coping by the plough was introduced the loy is fast dying out so the coopers make rakes for hay-making for not many people can afford a raker worked by horse power. Rakes are now sold in shops also. So the cooper is left very little to do. Formerly her made churns, tubs, firkins, cools, and shallow pails for setting the milk to rest in until the cream has risen to the surface. As well as the churn he made the churn-dash, the lid and little bowl through which the dash passed. This was called the "joggler" A well-made churn was beautiful to look at. It was nicly bound with iron hoops and the staves were perfectly fitted together. The cooper had a sort of bent plane by means of which he made the churn perfectly smooth on the inside. Each stave had to be shaped and planed separately and when all were fitted together and bound by iron bands on the outside all rough edges on the inside were removed by the use of the plane. Sometimes the head of the dash was circular in shape and sometimes it was made square. Holes were left for the milk to pass through during the process of churning

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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)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Michael Mc Donald

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   72

   Address

   Mullanadarragh, Co. Leitrim