School: The Downs (roll number 8875)
- Location:
- The Downs, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: S. Molloy
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0730, Page 102
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- XML “Hay-Making Long Ago”
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- Long ago the job of making hay was much harder then it is now, as there were no machinery and farmers had to do all the work [?] with scythes, forks, and hand-rakes.
It took a very long time to mow a small amount of meadow and its was very tiresome.
When mown it was left on the ground for a day or two to dry.
Then it was turned with a fork.
It was then put in rows and from these made into cocks called grass-cocks. After this several of the grass-cocks were work put together making a
field-cocks.
Of course if the weather was bad the hay was turned several times.
When the field cock were made the ground is raked with a hand-rake.
The cocks were tied down seccurely with ropes and left in the field for a month or so.
- Collector
- Theresa Maguire
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- The Downs, Co. Westmeath
- Informant
- Joseph Maguire
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 68
- Address
- The Downs, Co. Westmeath
