School: Gurrane (B.) (roll number 14839)
- Location:
- Clondrohid, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Seán Ó Loingsigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0326, Page 185
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- (continued from previous page)time splinters were what people used. Sometimes people drew out the candle too soon, that is before it was hard enough to hold. Sometimes too, they did not draw it out soon enough and then the mould had to be held over the fire and warmed until the tallow next to it had melted a little when the candle would slip out easily by pulling the wick, from the end that was not conical. Sometimes it happened that the wick was not centre-ways. This was caused by not holding the wick in the centre of the mould while the melted tallow was being poured in. A candle with the wick 'sideways in it' was not much use although it was always used. The candles made from the tallow of one cow would do a household for a whole winter but those tallow candles were not good and the light given by them was poor and people thought the manufactured candle a great improvement on the home made one. They were much more expensive though. Before moulds were used the people peeled rushes and when they had the soft woolly centre they dipped it in melted tallow and then allowed it to dry. They repeated this again and again until they had some kind of a candle.
- Collector
- Paddy Scriven
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Lissacresig, Co. Cork
