School: Ballycullane

On this page

1. Food in Olden Times

   

   Share Share Post

   Long ago people only ate three meals every day, breakfast, dinner and supper. They used to start work at five o'clock. At eight o'clock they ate their breakfast in the field. It consisted of porridge and skim milk. The porridge was eaten out of bowls, with a table spoon.
   Dinner was eaten at twelve o'clock and supper at six o'clock. Both meals consisted of potatoes, salt and buttermilk. Bread was sometimes eaten. It was made with barley meal, and baked in a griddle. Oaten bread was also eaten. Oaten porridge was boiled and dried in oat-meal, and baked on a griddle.
   Meat was seldom eaten except at Christmas. Fish was often used, especially trout. No vegetables were eaten except turnips and cabbage. No food was kept for special days except for Christmas. The rich people had roast fowl instead of pigs head.
   Kitchen tables were usually laid by the wall. but in some houses they were hung up. In that manner it looked like a stool without legs, as the legs were folded up.
   About thirty years ago tea was first imported into Ireland. It was about ten shillings a pound and only very rich people bought

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. products
      1. food products (~3,601)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   K. Caulfield

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Ballycullane, Co. Wexford

   Informant

   William Staunton

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   75

   Address

   Ballycullane, Co. Wexford