School: Meelick (C.)
- Location:
- Meelick, Co. Clare
- Teacher: Bean Uí Mhórdha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0597, Page 280
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- XML “Houses Long Ago”
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- The houses of long ago were made of mud and were generally roofed with rush thatch. The people always kept the beds by the fireside in the kitchen. The name they had for the bed was bunky or doss. When the old people were telling anyone to go to bed they would say "Take the bunky for it. The fire was at the side of the kitchen and they had an old bucket for a chimney. There was only one door in the house. The floors were made of earth and were always damp. In wet weather they spread rushes on them. They made fires of dry cow dung and furze and of fir wood.
They all made their own candles out of tallow and the pith of the rushes. They had only one window in the house. An old bag was put up to the window at night and in the morning it was taken down so the air came in through the hole that served as a window.
- Informant
- Mr Patrick Davis
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 55
- Address
- Coonagh East, Co. Limerick
