School: Westland (roll number 8428)

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1. Bread

   

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   In olden times the people of this district used to grow corn, but they did not grind it. They used to buy the flour in shops.
   Querns were used in this district long before my father was born, more than seventy years ago.
   Potato cakes were more used then than they are now. They were made the same as they are now.
   Boxty bread is hardly used now at all but it was often used long ago.
   It was made of raw potatoes grated, (they were peeled before they were grated) with a special grater and mixed with flour and boiled potatoes. It was not wetted with anything, for the raw potatoes had enough juice in them. It was baked on a frying-pan.
   Oaten cake was baked in this district too. The meal was wetted with new milk and water. There would be very little flour in oaten bread. They would knead it very stiff and put it on the bread-stool before the fire to bake, or on the tongs. They would have something behind the tongs to keep it from slipping. The turf fire was the best for baking it.
   Bread would be made every three days in

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. products
      1. food products (~3,601)
         1. bread (~2,063)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Me R. Mc Whirter

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Drumlayne, Co. Meath