School: Ballyhogue

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1. Thatching

   

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   Wheaten straw is the most popular for thatching. The person that owns the house gets the straw ready for the thatcher. The straw has to be pulled and put in bundles so that the thatcher would not have anything to do but to thatch. There are two thatchers in Ballyhogue Mr. Pat Shea and Mr. Mick Murphy, Ballyhogue, Macmine, Co. Wexford. The trade is dying out because there is not enough trade for thatching now he does not need a helper. The sticks are called sprays. He puts a bag on his knees to protect his clothes. If a house is well thatched the thatch lasts for about two years and sometimes even longer.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

2. Hurl-Making

   

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   When a hurl-maker is going to make a hurl he goes out around the land and looks for an ash tree with a curve on the butt of it. When he is cutting them down he has to be careful not to cut down a tree with knots in it because it would break. When he cuts down a stick he has to bring it to the saw-mill to get the sticks sawed into planks and then he cuts out the

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   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   James Fitzpatrick

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Ballyhoge, Co. Wexford

   Informant

   James Higginbotham

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   40

   Address

   Ballyhoge, Co. Wexford