School: Finea (roll number 10599)
- Location:
- Finnea, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: Kathleen Hackett
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0719, Page 118
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- In olden times bread was made chiefly from oaten meal. Only the rich people could afford to buy flour because flour was very dear owing to the Corn Laws. The wheat was sown extersivey in this district about 100 years ago, but it was usually sold as it was very dear then. Sometimes the farmers kept some wheat for themselves and got it ground for themselves in the local mills into a kind of flour. The flour was always of a bluish black colour owing to the smuts in the wheat. The people didn't then know the means whereby they might clear the smut from the wheat. The rich people bought the flour in shops in the village. Oaten bread was made from oats which was grown.
At that time there were many mills grinding oats and wheat scattered through the country.
The oaten-meal was wet with warm water and baked on a flat griddle. Sometimes a griddle facing the fire was(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Mary Coughlin
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Finnea, Co. Westmeath
- Informant
- Mrs Mary Coughlin
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 50
- Address
- Finnea, Co. Westmeath
