School: Dernakesh (B)
- Location:
- Dernakesh, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: T. Ó Comhraidhe
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1017, Page 344
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- XML School: Dernakesh (B)
- XML Page 344
- XML “Flax Scutching”
- XML “An Old Craft”
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- (continued from previous page)would take five or six women three weeks to scutch about fifty stone of flax. But they did not mind that tedious work because a dance was looked forward to when the scutch house would be cleared.
- An Old Craft.
In former days nearly all the dwelling houses in this locality were thatched with either oat straw green rushes or tow - the portion of flax unfit for sale.
The straw would be drawn into neat bundles and neatly placed in small staples beginning at the eve, one partly half way over the other until the rigging was reached. It was then secured with clabar "mortar" - a mixture of heavy clay and water. The work from start to finish calls for some skill on the thatcher's part, many of whom recieved 2/ to 2/6 per day for the work. The rushes were usually affixied(continues on next page) - Collector
- Vincent Shalvey
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Dernakesh, Co. Cavan
- Informant
- Charles Shalvey
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Dernakesh, Co. Cavan
