School: Lurga, Patrick's Well (roll number 10317)

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1. Candle-Making in the District in Former Times

   

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   Candle Making in This District in Former times.

   In olden times when lamps or was candles were scarce, the inhabitants of this district used to get bulrushes from the bogs and make what was known as "Rush candles". when the bulrushes were gathered, one of the members of each house was set at the task of peeling them. When the rushes were peeled, the white thing that remained was put into a pan of hot grease. After a few minutes the rushed would be taken up from the pan, and put into a wooden candlestick and lit. those candles used to be renewed very often because they would not last long.

   Recorded from Ml. McGrath at a later period.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

2. Candle-Making at a Later Period

   

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   Candle Making at a Later Period. In olden times in Ireland the old people used to make their own candles. In order to make those candles they used to get oval shaped metal vessels. Each vessel had three legs on it and a long handle. This vessel was known as a "Griosad". Then they got the fat from a cow or sheep and put it into the "Griosad" over the fire. Then they got a long flat board with four or five round holes in it. They had moulds in which they used to make the candles, they used to drop the mould through the holes in the board. The tops of the moulds were wider in the top than the bottom and this prevented the mould from slipping all the way through the holes. The wick was then got and twisted around a nail. The end of the wick was allowed to drop into the mould and the nail was put across the top of the mould.

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   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)
            1. candle-making (~728)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Michael Mc Grath

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Ballycarney, Co. Limerick