School: Leamh-choill
- Location:
- Drumsillagh, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Cáit Ní Ghadhra
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0232, Page 071
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- Candle Making.
Lard and mutton 'fat' was kept in large vessels and was called tallow. Twine was secured in candle moulds and the melted tallow was poured in and allowed to cool. The mould was then opened and thus the candle was made.
Soap-Manufacture.
(Clothes were often washed with oris root.) Tallow was melted in a wash tub and lime was mixed through it. The mixture was then allowed to cool.
Basket Making.
the older people were very skilled at basket making. They used 'sally' rods always for weaving but sometimes stronger and firmer rods were used for the staves.
Giseáns or egg baskets, flat turf baskets, and clothes baskets, creels and pardógs were made in every home.
Rush candles were made from peeled rushes dipped in tallow which was melted in a grisset or candle pan. Hundreds of rush candles 2' or 3' long used to be made every evening. Sometimes sheaves of straw used to be burned in handfulls to show light.
Pine blocks used to be gathered in the bogs and cut into lengths (2' or 3' by 2" in width). These were lighted in the fire and secured in a candle stick.
