School: Lathach Barr
- Location:
- Ardbane or Laghy Barr, Co. Dhún na nGall
- Teacher: Seaghan Ó Gallchobhair
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1032, Page 359
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- XML School: Lathach Barr
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- XML “Our Cow House”
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- (continued from previous page)could not pull it out. Each cow is tied with an iron chain fastened to the runner.
There are three animals tied at each gable. There is a gripe running through the middle of the byre to hold the manure. This gripe has an oulet at the back.
This is a new cowhouse built last year. Our old byre was built of stones, but it was roofed with oak sticks which my father found in the bogs over these he put scraws and on the top of that thatch. If he had plenty of straw he thatched with straw. If he hadn't straw he thatched with rushes. The thatch was pinned down with scallops made from rods with stretchers of briars across the caves, to keep it safe during storms, but indeed its many a stormy night the same roof was blown over the hills.
The cows were tied in the old byre with borachs. The borach was made from what called beetled rushes. The best rushes were out in Autum of the year, and beetled with a heavy stick or beetle. They were then steep in a white hole on the hill and left there for twelve months, after which they were lifted out and left to dry. When the were puite dry the were tied up in bundles and taken in(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Willie Timoney
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Rossilly Barr, Co. Dhún na nGall
