School: Killymarley (roll number 15398)
- Location:
- Killymarly, Co. Monaghan
- Teacher: Bean Uí Chléirigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0957, Page 272
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- (continued from previous page)his neighbours and gets them to come and help him with his. Of course he pays back the swop. He sets off early with two horses and a digger. It takes eight or ten men to gather the potatoes after the digger. Some time before the potatoes are dur the ends are taken off the drills with spades.
Long ago in Ireland all the potatoes were dug with spades. It would take about three weeks to dig a big field in the way. The digger throws the potatoes out a good distance digging one drill at a time. They are gathered by the men and are put on boxes or baskets and carried to the pit and emptied. They did away till the end of day and then they put a thick layer of rushes or weeds over the potatoes. He continues like this till the potatoes are all dug. A few weeks later the famer comes along and puts a thick later of clay on the pits to secure them from the storms of winter. The field is harrowed and the old withered stocks are gathered into heaps and burned. In a few months time he comes and picks the potatoes and throws out all the(continues on next page)
