School: Bán-Tír (B.) (roll number 2803)

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1. Potato Planting

   

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   Patrick O'Sullivan says, ploughs were made at Banteer, by Dan Duggan, and at a place called the ''Sandpit'', Dromtariffe, by "Johnny Sullivan". They were much lighter than the present ploughs. After a certain time ploughing the ''soc'' and ''coulter'' points would be worn, and should be brought to the smith for ''steeling'', when the day's work was finished, as very few had a second part to replace the broken part. It was quite common for the Smith to work till "Midnight", and often later. Ploughmen often had to walk three miles, and wait turn at the forge. There was no allowance for going to the forge, and no excuse for not being at work at six on the following morning. A ''soc'' would be "steeled", in about three heats. These smiths also made ''spades'', half as long again as the present spade, and wider at the steel top, for ray-digging, locally called ''Ríosking''. For first crop of potatoes, the furrow was skinned, and the loosened material thrown over to form a ridge down on the undug báwn. The "sgiollans" were put down on this, and the furrow then dug deeper, and thrown over the "sgiollans". (The latter were often planted down on the báwn, four across a four foot ridge without skinning the furrow. The top sod and furrow material then thrown over to cover them. The ''skinning'' of the furrow was sometimes

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. agriculture (~2,659)
            1. potatoes (~2,701)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   John F Sheehan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Banteer, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Patrick O Sullivan

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   76

   Address

   Banteer, Co. Cork