School: Páirc na gCrann (roll number 16042)

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1. Old Houses

   

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   In former times the people made their own houses from stone. These houses were very low and untidy because hens and cows are often kept in them.

   All the old houses were thatched and roofed with bog-deal and straws. More of them were roofed with flags and then thatched was put over the flags, to keep them from being blown away if a storm would come. They were thatched with ry-straw, oats straw and rushes which they had sown and saved themselves. In this way they roofed their houses. A common thing in the old houses was a bed in the kitchen known as the "hag" or the "outchat". This bed was made of bog-deal and straw or feathers if there was any to be got, and was usually placed at the side wall. These beds were very common and one of them were found in every old house. The fire was always in the gable wall and is still but the old people never heard of the fire been in the centre of the house on the floor. There are many accounts of houses having no chimney only a hole in the roof for the smoke to go out. Those that had chimneys, the front of them were made with mortar and stone and also of clay and wattles.

   There are also accounts of houses having no glass for their windows. In the daytime they left the window open but

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. buildings
            1. residential buildings (~2,723)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Máiréad Ní Giolla Phádraig

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   12

   Address

   Rinn, Co. Mayo

   Informant

   Patrick Fitzpatrick

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   61

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Rinn, Co. Mayo