School: Duleek (B.) (roll number 6554)
- Location:
- Damhliag, Co. na Mí
- Teacher: Micheál Ó Braonáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0682, Page 260
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- XML School: Duleek (B.)
- XML Page 260
- XML “Rushlights”
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- The people of Duleek long ago had a great lot of ways for lighting their homes. One was with rushlights. Long ago the men and women in Duleek, used go along the banks of the rivers and gather the big thick rushs that grew there. They used to call them bullrushes. They used to bring them home and dry then at the fire. Then they would leave them out in the sun. Then when they would be dry they used to skin them, and then steep then in brown stuff like grease. Then they would take them out after a couple of days. Then they used to tie two or three of the rushes together Then they would light them and they would not burn out for about two weeks.
They used to be out where the flaggers grow and pull up the part where it is wet and coloured red at the butt. Then they would cut it to about two or three inches long. They would malke a hole in it then and run one or two thin rushes throught the hole for a wick. They would light the wick then and it could burn for a good while. But these lights are not as good as the light made of the bull-rushes.
- Collector
- Seumas Ó Gormáin
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- An Coimín, Co. na Mí
- Informant
- Liam Ó Gormáin
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 55
- Address
- An Coimín, Co. na Mí
