School: Abbeytown Convent N.S. (roll number 15043)

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1. Food in Olden Times (continued)

   “The people in this parish in olden times lived on very plain, but wholesome food,”

   

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   meals a day, the first very early in the morning about six o'clock, and the second one after noon. This was all they eat during the day, except a drink of buttermilk before going to bed. The first meal consisted of porridge and buttermilk and the second one consisted of potatoes and buttermilk. Milk was the principal drink the people used, as tea was unknown then. Butter-milk was mostly drunk, sometimes "new milk" if the people had it to spare. After every meal the table was hung up, in order to make more liberty in the kitchen. One end of the table was attached to the wall while the other had two movable legs.
   Oaten cake was the principal bread and this was eaten with veal, the meat of a calf. This bread was made from oaten meal, minced with salt and sugar. Then it was wet with hot water and left to harden, it was then baked. People ate a great amount of fish in olden times also a lot of vegetables. A "cut" of soda bread and a boiled egg was a great treat for the people on Easter Sunday morning.
   Tea was brought into this parish in the year 1846 a.d., and was considered a great luxury by the people. Here is a story connected with the first cup of tea made in this parish. One day a woman invited her neighbour into her house for a cup of tea. As she was getting the tea ready she saw

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. products
      1. food products (~3,601)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mr M. Kiely

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Boyle, Co. Roscommon