School: Leamh-choill
- Location:
- Drumsillagh, Co. Ros Comáin
- Teacher: Cáit Ní Ghadhra
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0232, Page 065
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- The furniture in the houses 100 years ago varied according to the wealth of the family, as did the number of rooms. The very poor people had no out-houses for animals and cows and calves were often housed during the night in the kitchen. Most people built out houses, 'a byre' for the cows, which was divided into two parts by a 'channel'. the floor was covered with flags and with cobble stones. The cows were tied by chains around their necks. The chains were often tied to the wall and out through air holes in the wall. There were two doors to the byres sometimes, one for throwing the manure through and the other for the entrance and exit of the cows. Rushes and straw were used as "bedding" for the cows.
This goes to prove that the people did not live in the same houses as did the animals.
The poor people , however, had very little furniture. The kitchen was the 'living room'. A turf fire burned cheerfully on a wide hearth. A stump of a tree provided a comfortable little seat in one corner, where one could see the 'stars' up through the chimney and one could feel much happier and more comfortable on this little seat watching the 'pictures' in the turf fire(continues on next page)
