School: Ballynagearn (roll number 8824)
- Location:
- Ballaghnagearn, Co. Monaghan
- Teacher: T. Finnegan
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0929, Page 159
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- XML School: Ballynagearn
- XML Page 159
- XML “The Local Forges”
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- There are three forges in this Parish, Bernard Courtney's, Peter Larkin's and Paddy Finegan's. Their fathers and grandfathers were smiths before them. The forges are situated near crossroads. Most forges have thatched roofs. On the middle of the floor there is a large anvil on which the smith shapes the iron. The sparks that fly from the iron are believed to blind you if they go towards the eye. There is a trough of water in which the irons are cooled. There is a local belief in regard to the water in this trough that it cures warts.
Here are the names of the implements which the smith uses a hammer, a hatchet, a knife, a file, a rasp and iron.
He shoes horses asses and jinnets but there are not many jinnets in the district. Long ago when there was fighting in Ireland the smith made pikes and he(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Kathleen Duffy
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Drumiller, Co. Cavan
