School: Cromadh (B.)

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   “Eels, I learn from various sources formed a staple part of the diet of the country people in this district up to about forty years ago.”

   

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   with the Maigue, a distance of less than two miles. The former river has at present three eel weirs, and in other days had at least four.

   Tim Hederman tells me that he knew as a boy, a "ton weight" of eels to be taken in two nights on one of these weirs at Manister village, some 36 or thirty eight years ago. They were 'hawked' in Croom and sold in traces. Not by weight, though the weir owner used weigh them after taking them. The trace consisted of a number of eels strung on a strong cord, and the method of tracing them - putting them on this cord was as follows.

   The cord was tied into a large knot as one end and the other end was passed through the eye of a pack-needle. A portion of the cord was doubled, to give the hand command over it and prevent it from slipping back. An eel was taken in the left hand and the needle passed in through the eye of the eel and out through its mouth. The cord being pulled through 'till the knot was reached.

   Each eel was dealt with in the same manner 'till a trace was completed. The number of eels on the trace was in inverse proportion to their size, but the price of the trace was generally

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