School: Dangan (roll number 7352)
- Location:
- Dangan (King), Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Thomas O' Flynn
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0254, Page 306
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- Old Crafts
There were many old crafts throughout the country in olden times such as Potheen making, lime burning, creel making and basket making, but I think the oldest of all these crafts is Potheen making. The way to make Potheen is to get oats or rye. First of all it has to be steeped until it starts to grow. Then it is taken out and dried. After this it is brought to the mill and crushed. When all this is done it is put into a still and boiled. The steam which leaves the still passes through a pipe called the worm. This pipe passes through a barrel of cold water so that while the steam is passing through the pipe called the worm, it is cooled and the steam turns into water again. It drops out as potheen. The potheen is collected into jars. Although potheen making is against the law, there are still some people that make it.
Anyone with whom the Guards find potheen, is brought to court and severely fined.
John F. Renyolds
- Collector
- John F. Reynolds
- Gender
- Male
