School: Glenanore
- Location:
- Glennanore, Co. Waterford
- Teacher: Séamus Ó Maoldhomhnaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0656, Page 010
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- XML “Butter-Making”
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- Butter-Making
The height of our churn barrel is 2 ft. From side to side it measures 2'-3" and is 11/2" in depth. It was made about twenty five years ago. The various parts of the churn-barrel are:- the stand, the dashes, the body and the windhole.
The churning is done once a week in winter and twice a week in summer. When the weather is warm in summertime the work usually takes about fifteen minutes, but it takes a longer period in winter. The woman of the house always makes the churn by hand, the dashes working in a circle. If a stranger comes into the house while the butter is being made he is always asked to take a turn lest he should take the butter away with him.
The people usually hear the butter tumbling off the dashes when it is made. The butter milk is taken out through a spicket hole and it is considered a very good drink when fresh. The remainder is given to the animals. The butter is taken out by hand and washed several times and then salted.
It is believed that a man coming into the house and lighting his pipe while the churning is going on takes away the butter. If a person skims the spring well on May morning he will have butter in plenty for the year.
- Informant
- Nóra Ní Chraith
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Knockanaffrin, Co. Waterford
