School: Monagea (B.), Newcastlewest (roll number 9401)

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   “In olden times all the houses in this parish were built of yellow mud...”

   

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   In olden times all the houses in this parish were built of yellow mud, and they were very slow to build as they had no building material. It used to take about six months to build the walls. When the walls were finished they used to cut big limbs or beams of timber for rafters. Then they had lighter limbs to lay next to the rafters. It was then thatched with reed or rushes. Even in the mountains at the present time, houses are to be seen thatched with rushes.Most of the old houses had two or three beds in the kitchen, when the houses were small and where there was not much room. Those beds were placed near the walls and were called settle or press beds. These beds could be folded up during the day and they took up very little room. There was also another bed called the canopy bed. These beds were covered in on top with timber and could not be folded up. The fireplaces were usually built at the centre wall or at the side wall. The chimneys long ago were made of mortar or of straw and timber. Any of the people now days putting in find it very hard as they have to re-build the chimneys as the timber and straw chimneys are very dangerous as they often take fire. When the people long ago were making a floor they used to put a big flag near the fire place. Under this flag they used to put a pot to make an echo for the person dancing. They used to put iron bars outside the windows to keep out raiders or moonlighters. The fashion in the olden days for fastening doors was with timber and iron bars on the inside. There was a hole

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   James Mulcahy

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Mrs Mulcahy

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Ballylinane, Co. Limerick