School: Westland (roll number 8428)

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1. Old Crafts (continued)

   

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   Little forges or huts were the usual places for the nails to be made.
   A piece of iron about four or five feet long was heated and there was a thing for cutting nails on the end of the anvil. The piece of hot iron was put down on this and struck with a hammer and it cut right through.
   Some blacksmiths made nails for horses shoes themselves. They could make nails for a set of shoes in five minutes.

   The only lime kilns my father can tell me about was one at Moynalty village. My father thinks that lime was not burned in it, but lime was drawn out of it. it is planted with a wood at present.
   There was a lime kiln at Meaves Bridge, and lime was burned in it. My father drew lime out of it at one time.

   Spinning
   Spinning was carried on largely all over this district by the women, who spun all their own clothes.
   This is how they made the linen. When the flax was pulled, it was drowned in a flax hole. It was taken up after about nine days and spread on a green field to dry: when dry it was tied in big bundles.
   Then is was brought near the house and dried again in this way. Two ridges were made in a corner of a field about five feet apart, sallies were strectched from one to the other and a fire was put under-neath.
   The flax was then loosened and put on top of the sallies,

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

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

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Betty Mc Whirter

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Drumlayne, Co. Meath

   Informant

   Mr R. Mc Whirter

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Drumlayne, Co. Meath