School: Cill Chais, Cluain Meala (roll number 596)

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1. Old Houses (continued)

   

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   on the bog used turf and heather which they called fraoc for the fire. Timber was also used and sometimes coal. People used to make balls of slack coal mixed with cow dung - these were left to dry and then burnt. They burned as well as coal.
   Rush lights and tallow candles gave light. Sheeps tallow and pig's lard was used and the candles were called "tallow dips". The wicks were made of lengths of cotton thread that was used for knitting quilts. There was also "mould candles" made here. They poured the melted tallow into the mould in which they had put the wick. It was afterwards turned out when cold. Bog oak was also used cut into strips used as torches and often as candles.
   The room was so small that the tables were made to hang against the wall when not in use. These are to be seen in many houses around here still as are the half-doors. There were seats at the side of the fire-place cut out of the wall and small stools and forms to sit on which could be easily carried from place to place. There were also long wooden seats or forms by the kitchen wall. Suzan chairs were in use then. These were

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. buildings
            1. residential buildings (~2,723)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   C. Ní Mhainnín

   Gender

   Female

   Informant

   Oliver Morrissey

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   64

   Occupations

   Farmer

   Road worker

   Address

   Toor, Co. Tipperary