School: Cnoc na Sná (B.), Mainistir na Féile (roll number 12368)

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1. Old Crafts - Killing and Curing of Bacon (continued)

   

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   a local farmer. Some made it a general trade and from the 1st November till Xmas, they had regular work as this was the time most of the slaughtering was done. Each farmer and householder prided in having a good "stick of bacon" across the kitchen for all and everybody to see who'd enter the premises. Anyone who hadn't was considered to have a hungry home and looked upon as being niggardly. A "flaitheamhail" meat stick spelled comfort and on matchmaking business, was always commented on thus "They always kept a good house, and you'd always see a double stick of bacon there". The butcher was paid for his work, usually 2/- for a small pig and 3/- or 3/6 for the larger. Besides he was well fed and usually got a pint or two of stout as twas customary to bring a gallon for the killing day.

   That was a busy morning for the woman of the house. She had of course to prepare the breakfast as usual and to boil the water for "scalding the pig". A big blazing fire of specially selected turf with additions of "mutawns" of bogdeal wasn't long in knocking steam out of the two or three pots water required. There were usually three, two hanging over the fire and one beside it. Breakfast being over, the ware hurriedly washed and replaced in the dresser and "clevy", the big kitchen table was taken out to the yard to form the platform of execution. The beast (victim) was caught in the pigs' stye, and bound firmly. A noose of hard rope was made and put on her

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)
   2. products
      1. food products (~3,601)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   D. O Connor

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Múinteoir