School: Cill Ríchill
- Location:
- Kilreekill, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Mícheál S. Ó Gaoithín
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0054, Page 0172
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- XML School: Cill Ríchill
- XML Page 0172
- XML “The Potato Crop”
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- There were wooden ploughs used about a hundred years ago. Spades were used by people who had anything around an acre of land tilled.
Potatoes were sowed in ridges until about forty years ago. Sometimes the ground was manured with seaweed. If potatoes were to be sown in a stubble field, it was dug in winter and manured before sowing. Some people used to have them sprouted before sowing. The put them into bores after Christmas; and when they were fully sprouted were sown.
The digging was done in October or November. The women picked the potatoes into shibs, and they were brought to the pit in high square baskets which the women carried on their backs. The pits were covered with rushes and clay.
"Champions" were the most that were used. For early sowing "Flounders" were used "Kerr's pink" is used now. "Epicurus" are the earliest potatoes.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Michael Cormican
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Newgrove, Co. Galway
