School: Longueville, Malla (roll number 11332)
- Location:
- Longueville, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Caitlín Ní Dhonnchadha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0364, Page 232
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- XML School: Longueville, Malla
- XML Page 232
- XML “Building Mud-Houses”
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- First of all they would strip off the green sod of a selected piece of ground. Then they would dig until they came to the yellow clay. If they got the blue clay they would prefer it.
They would dig it and temper it with water. Straw or rushes was then thrown on it and mixed up. They would put a man on horseback into the middle of it to trample it. He would mix it in such a way as it would cling to the spade.
If it were convenient they would get fresh stall manure and more straw and rushes. These they would thoroughly mix again by means of a man and horse. It would then take six days before they would commence to build the wall.
They would put down their lines and pegs and they would commence. The breadth of the wall was usually 2ft 8ins. There was one man standing on the wall trampling it. A bundle of rushes was then chopped and put in the middle of the wall. Every course was two feet high. They would commence to build the chimney with stones and bricks.
When they had the wall to its correct height barring a foot, the wall plate made of timber was laid on the wall and then it was built another foot.(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Liam Mullane
- Gender
- Male
