School: Cor na Gaoithe (roll number 7495)
- Location:
- Corr na Gaoithe, Co. Liatroma
- Teacher: Bean Uí Fhloinn
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0206, Page 073
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- XML School: Cor na Gaoithe
- XML Page 073
- XML “Flax and Linen”
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- Flax was grown in this Parish about 60 years ago, and Linen was made from it. First the Flax was pulled carefully when ripe for pulling, and after a few days it was steeped in a flax-dam till the strands or fibres were left. - then it was spread out to dry and when fully dry, it was “scutched”.-
to tear the fibrous portion through teeth until it was converted into ‘tow”- This was spun into thread by women - just like woollen thread and this thread was woven into linen.- Bleaching has to take place then to whiten it and the Linen is ready to be made into sheets - tablecloths and towels.- Long ago all the elderly men wore white Linen shirts and the linen was all home-made.
A woman when getting married had as a marriage gift a certain number of sheets, tablecloths and towels given to her by her own mother. Some of these might be 100 years old, and the older they were, the more they were prized.
- Collector
- Caitlín Bean Uí Fhloinn
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 51
