School: Ballymore (C.) (roll number 7444)

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1. Old Houses

   

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   Most of the houses in this locality were all thatched mud-walls cabins. Wheaten straw was most, commonly used in thatching them. All the old houses had a settle-bed in the kitchen. Thus provided a bench or a seat during the day time. It was opened out at night and made a very comfortable bed. "Settle beds" are to be had in houses yed and also the press bed which was part of the furniture of parlur long ago. This too was opened at night and provided a most comfortable bed. Most of the old chimney fronts were made of clay and wattles. The old floors were all made of clay. There were no boards used in the floors of the country houses. The making of the clay floors was a big operation. The whole family had to walk on the floor in the making of it and the more walking it got while it was soft the better, then it was smoothed out. Water was dashed on it often so, as to allow it to dry too quickly. The 'walking' and wetting of it were the best means of keeping the floors from ravelling " afterwards. All the old houses too, had half doors

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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

   Dilly Kearney

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Clonyveey, Co. Westmeath