School: Rathcoyle, Kiltegan

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1. Old Houses (continued)

   

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   in this district. In olden times the principal kinds of houses were those with thatched roofs of either straw or rushes. The rushes were got in bogs which were situated near the houses. In olden times the fireplace was not always situated at the gable-end wall. The fire was sometimes placed on the middle of the floor, and there was a hole in the roof to let out the smoke. Whenever there was a chimney in the gable-end wall it was built in the form of the letter S, so that thieves could not get down them. The floors of the houses or cabins as they were often called, consisted of clay. The walls of the houses consisted of mud and some stones. The fires which were burned consisted of peat or wood. Half-doors were common in olden times. Rush candles were made in the homes and were used for light at night.

   

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   History Edit

2. Old Houses

   

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   The houses of to-day are very different from those of long ago. There are the ruins of

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   Topics

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

   Language

   English

   Informant

   William O' Toole

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   70

   Address

   Kilcarney Lower, Co. Wicklow