School: Cléireacháin, Cluain Meala
- Location:
- Ballyclerahan, Co. Tipperary
- Teacher: James Bates
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0567, Page 163
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- Every farmer grows potatoes on his farm, but when 3 acres used to be sown long ago, only 1 acre now-a-days. The amount sown scarcely ever varies. The ground is prepared either by the farmer himself or their servantman. The ground is ploughed and harrowed and made into drills. The manure is then put out in [?] and spread. The potatoes are then cut in "sets" and sown 12 ft. apart. The drills are then closed. Ridges are still made in the small holdings and cottage plots. Each ridge is about 2ft. wide, sod cut and turned in at each side, 3 sets put in each ridge in the width. Furrows then dug and clay shovelled in on the ridge. Spade used in their making.Wooden ploughs were used in the locality over 70 years ago. These were made by the local smith named Perkins. None now are to be seen. Spades made locally also long ago, and are now bought in shops.When sowing or picking the potatoes, the neighbours help each other.Whilst growing, the potatoes are gribbed and wed. Then earthed 2 or 3 times. Spraying takes place during the end of June or beginning of July. They are ploughed and in October, being picked in aprons by either servant men or women and neighbours. They are then stored in the haggards in pits. These pits are 3 ft. deep, and potatoes are covered with straw first and then clay, being finally covered over with sods. Type most suitable to locality is the Champion. Other varieties are Kerr's Pinks, Skerry Champion, British Queen, Irish Queen, Up-to-Dates. Starch made long ago. Potatoes scraped into basin, water put on and stirred. When muddy strained off.
- Informant
- William Ahearne
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 70
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Ballyveelish South, Co. Tipperary
- Informant
- Mary Ahearne
- Relation
- Grandparent
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 88
- Address
- Ballyveelish South, Co. Tipperary
- Informant
- Denis Ahearne
- Relation
- Parent
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 70
- Address
- Ballyveelish South, Co. Tipperary
- Informant
- Hanora Ahearne
- Relation
- Parent
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 72
- Address
- Ballyveelish South, Co. Tipperary