School: Maghachaidh (Newtowngore) (roll number 9353)

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1. Old Houses

   

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   With regard to the houses which existed in olden times, I asked Grandma and Aunt Mary and they replied that the houses were nearly the same as nowadays. Only when she was young (I mean Aunt Mary) there was no such thing as slates. The people thatched their houses with straw or rushes. The straw being produced from the land and the rushes from the bog. Then they were cut and dried for use.
   There used to bea bed in the kitchen called a "Settle-bed", and it was placed along the wall. But these are gone out of fashion nowaday's.
   The fire-place was always placed in the gable wall in the time of Aunt Mary. The front of the chimney was made with boards in her youth. And there was always clay or stuff to keep it from burning to pieces
   The old flours were made of clay in olden times. There floors can still be seen in old country houses at present.
   Peat or turf and logs of wood were used for fireing in those days.
   Grease candle or rush candles, were used for giving light to the houses. Candles

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. buildings
            1. residential buildings (~2,723)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Jeanette Magee

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Tully North, Co. Leitrim