School: Cratloe (C.)

On this page

1. Old Houses

   

   Share Share Post

   In olden times the houses inhabited in Ireland were far different from the present day houses. The walls were built of mud and stone about two feet thick and when built about eight feet the house was then roofed with heath or thatch. The house consisted of two rooms, the kitchen and one other sleeping appartment. The floors of these rooms were made of mud but in some cases the bedroom floor was boarded.
   The kitchen contained one door and one window. This window was very small and before glass was made this window would be left open in the daytime and closed with a shutter at night. the fireplace used to be built into the western gable of the house. All old houses used contain a bed called a "settle-bed". This bed could be folded up in the daytime and made into a seat and all the bedding concealed in one part. In some very old houses there used be no chimney at all only an iron cage erected in the middle of the floor in which a fire could be lit. The doors used have no locks only irons put into the jambs so that a stout stick could be laid across to fasten the door from the inside at night. The general fuel in olden times was timber and turf. The light used was always candles made from tallow and tread, also rushes dipped in

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. historical and commemorative structures (~6,794)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mrs J. Punch

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Cratloemoyle, Co. Clare