School: Berrings (Measctha) (roll number 4186)

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   “Some hundreds of years ago there was collected by landlord in this locality what was known as "Airgead an Tinteáin", which was a tax on windows of dwelling houses, the tax varying according to the number and size of the windows.”

   

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   These houses were generally occupied by labouring men. It was usual then to see the hen coop in the kitchen in the houses of farmers and labourers. These houses were generally thatched with oaten straw, and until ten or twelve years ago, a thatcher visited this district to thatch or repair the thatch in the few thatched houses left. Some old people did not like raising old houses, as they thought it unlucky and that often some member of the family died after going to live in the raised house. The slate on the older houses was generally got at Drimoleague, Co. Cork. The fire place was always at one end of the kitchen, above and below which was a room in the farmer's houses. The fire place was very wide and open and the wall over the fire place was supported by a long stout piece of timber called the mantle tree. Fire usually consisted of coal as there is no turf in the locality, and in fine weather farmers and labourers burned furze, as is done to the present day by those having the great open fire places. It is often the poorer people gathered dry cow dung, and when alight used it to bake cakes by placing it on the cover of the bastable. About 60 years or less ago it was usual at Xmas for farmers to kill an old cow for the Xmas. They then made 'tallow candles' by melting the tallow in fat and pouring it into a mould, through the centre of which ran a wick, held in place by means of nails

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   Language

   English

   Collector

   D. O' Driscoll

   Address

   Berrings, Co. Cork

   Informant

   E. Lane

   Address

   Berrings, Co. Cork