School: Áth na Coille
- Location:
- Annaghkilly, Co. Monaghan
- Teacher: S. Ó Briain
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0945, Page 289
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- (continued from previous page)too high and thick.
In autumn the potatoes are dug. Many farmers, especially those who have large fields of potatoes, use a potato digging machine. Some, however, prefer to used a spade even when the crop is large, as they claim that the machine injuries the potatoes in turning them out and they do not keep as well. Where a farmer employs a 'digger' he engages a 'mehel' of gatherers from amongst his neighbours, as the machine works very rapidly and a large number of gatherers are required to keep it busy. Women and children do most of the work of picking the potatoes from the earth when they are dug. They are picked into buckets and put in large heaps in the fields. Creels used to be used for the work but they are seldom seen now in the potato field. The large potatoes are picked first and put in separate pits. the small ones, called pireens are then picked and stored in a convenient outhouse and are used to feed pigs and poultry. The pits of large potatoes in the potato field are covered thickly with rushes. Over the rushes a covering of clay is put. They are left there, except those required for use during the winter, until the time comes to plough the field in the following spring.
