School: An Mhaing
- Location:
- Muingatlaunlush, Co. Kerry
- Teacher: Christine Nic Gearaild
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0444, Page 128
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- XML “The Local Forge”
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- There are three forges in the parish. The smiths are Brosnan, Connor and Gorman. Their people before them have not been smiths. On the sides of the roads two of them are situated and one forge is at the cross-road. The forges have thatched roofs and some are made of timber and more stones. There is only one fireplace within. The implements used by the smith are the hammer, the pincers, the cold chisel, the rasp, the anvil. The smith shoes horses and asses and he also makes farm implements such as spades, pikes, etc. He rims the wheels with iron bands near the river side or by a sream for the water is neccessary for this work.
They say a forge need never be locked for there is an old belief that anything taken out of it will have to be returned.
Smiths were always looked upon as being very strong and muscular. The fores were formerly centres of storytelling and all the local news was to be got there. The smiths made bayonets and war implements during the trouble times in Ireland, and on this account the forges were often raided and the smiths were shot.
