School: Cnapach (Crappagh) (roll number 7529)

On this page

1. Old Houses (continued)

   

   Share Share Post

   (continued from previous page)

   was in the centre. Sometimes there was only one room and kitchen. This latter was separated from a little hall way by a jamb wall. The jamb-wall came out a short distance in the kitchen and had a small window - one pane - in it.

   The houses were thatched with straw or flax or rushes. Some houses had no chimneys, a hole was put in the roof to allow the smoke out. In some cases the fire was in the centre of the floor. The fires were on the hearth and, there was a big flag called the 'hearth-stone' before the fire. It was swept with a "besom" made from heather, or broom. There were no turgo or brushes then. The old people preferred heather besoms as broom was considered unlucky, owing to the general belief that witches went around on broom-sticks.

   The floors were made of clay. It was hard to keep them clean. Sometimes holes came in the floors and they were mended by filling them up with a plaster of such mud. In some houses

   (continues on next page)

   

   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

   Informant

   Mrs Mc Gorman

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   50

   Address

   Drumary, Co. Monaghan

   Informant

   William Dunne

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   75

   Address

   Knockcor, Co. Monaghan