School: Killymarley (roll number 15398)
- Location:
- Coill Ó Mearlaigh, Co. Mhuineacháin
- Teacher: Bean Uí Chléirigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0957, Page 278
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- (continued from previous page)on top of a bucket in the middle of the floor. The family sat round this on stools and with some salt and buttermilk made a good meal. The better class farmer killed a pig for himself and his family once every year. This was used only at the principal meal with beans or cabbage and potatoes. The neighbours round would often come for a "greaser" - a small piece of the bacon to grease the pan.Young calves were so cheap that it did not pay the farmer to rear them for sale, so often a calf would be well-fed for a couple of months and then killed and salted. A quarter of veal could be bought for a shilling or one and two pence. Butter was plentiful as all the milk was churned at home. The milk was all churned - none of it being used sweet. Buttermilk was drunk at every meal. The butter was made up in large pieces called firkins. These were taken to the market and sold. Churning had often to be done every morning in the summer time and if all the buttermilk was not neeeded it was taken to town in the churns and sold.
