School: Melview, Longford (roll number 7518)

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1. Old Houses

   

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   The houses which were in use long ago were very small and lacked the comfort we have in the houses of today. They were called mud cabins and were generally built in a low place as a protection against storm. The windows were small because of tax on glass. It is also said they were made small to prevent thieves from entering the house. It is likely that the latter was the chief cause for small windows because there were iron bars protecting them outside. The mud walls were made by mixing stiff blue clay and straw and this was built up two feet wide making an airtight and substantial wall. Rafters were made from old bog beans raised on the bog where they lay, some people say since Noah's flood. There were not nails used to put them together there were pins used of the same material and put through the pieces by piercing holes to fit them.
   The houses were plastered inside and whitewashed outside. The chimney was made of wood square or barrel shaped. Inside there was no flue, the smoke went up along the wall and through the opening above. In some houses there was a wickerwork arch a few feet up from the fire. In some houses there used to be a loft over the fire coming out about four feet. This was used to store fruit and potatoes

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. buildings
            1. residential buildings (~2,723)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Seamus Mc Manus

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Aghadegnan, Co. Longford