School: Errigal Trough (roll number 15565)

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1. Culinary Vessels (continued)

   

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   enamelled square box is now to be seen in a large number of homes, with the word "bread" shown on the front portion of the box.

   Often, many of the small farmers would have from two to four hogsheads of oatmeal preserved for the whole year's support of the family; and if hogsheads were unprocurable, this oatmeal would be preserved in a long home-made coarse linen sack which held about 40 stone. This sack or perhaps the hogsheads were placed along the back wall of the kitchen, the sack being always put on a low stool and firmly tied to a part of the roof called the "hangrail" to prevent it from falling over. This sack being very heavy was generally filled out of smaller bags, the oatmeal being pounded down in it with a short thick stick.

   When full to upper extremity generally reached within a few inches of the roof.

   The oatmeal put into the hogshead was treated in another way. When the hogshead was about half full some member of the family took off his "brogues" (if he was lucky enough to have any) washed his feet scrupulously clean, got into the hogshead with his bare feet, and tramples the meal down tightly, continuously, until the hogshead

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. earraí
      1. struchtúir de dhéantús an duine
         1. foirgnimh
            1. an teach cónaithe (~2,723)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   John Mc Elmeel

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   An Choraidh, Co. Mhuineacháin