School: Béal Átha Fhinghín (B.)

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   “For lighting purposes they used a splinter of fir ("ver") ("bog-wood")...”

   

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   For lighting purposes they used a splinter of fir ("vir") ("bog-wood"). Long thin slivers were paired off a piece of resinous "ver" and placed in a bundle by the fire, or sometimes a number of them would be interlaced in a form (?) of "gate." The splinter was called a Geataire. It was held in the jaws of a "Coinnleoir" which had also an arm with a socket to hold a candle. The candle was made of sallow. In the old days - up to sixty or eighty years ago - it was made by "dipping." A cotton thread was dipped repeatedly in molten sallow and allowed to cool off. This was kept up until the candle was of the required thickness. A mould came into use later. It was of tin, about ten or eleven inches long, and tapered towards the top. Names of candle - Sráideóg (Mr. Wm. Shorten) Ráistín (Mr. Patrick Warren) (Sketch of Coinnleoir in possession of Mr Wm. Shorten) Pointed end was stuck in block of wood.

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   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)

   Languages

   Irish

   English

   Informant

   Mr Patrick Warren

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Mr William Shorten

   Gender

   Male