School: Birr (Mercy Convent)
- Location:
- Birr or Parsonstown, Co. Offaly
- Teacher: Sr. Flannan
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0821, Page 147
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- XML “Old Crafts - Candle-Making”
- XML “Old Crafts - Flummery”
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- Candle MakingThe making of candles was carried on in the Main Street, Birr until about forty years ago. Huge cauldrons are to be seen still to the rears of the two houses owned now by Lar Bowes and Miss Hernon, but the Chandlers who lived in these houses were Mrs. Spain and John and Mrs O'Neill, who carried on a very successful business. In the cauldrons the fat was boiled down for the manufacture of the candles, and the smell and fumes from the boiling fat used to penetrate all over the town. When an old cow died around the place the farmer brought the fat into the chandlers to make candles.
- FlummeryPatrick Spain, Cullawn told his daughter, Kathleen, that when he was a young boy an old woman of seventy years lived next door to him. Patrick often saw her making flummery. First she steeped a quantity of oat-meal, through which she mixed some mill seeds in water. This she allowed to stand for a certain number of days. Then she(continues on next page)
