School: Clún na Gaoithe (roll number 8740)

Location:
Cloongee, Co. Mayo
Teacher:
Pádraig Ó Héaráin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0125, Page 372

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0125, Page 372

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  1. XML School: Clún na Gaoithe
  2. XML Page 372
  3. XML “Houses Long Ago”

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  1. Long ago the people had only small houses called "borábs". They were built with stones and the people used to cut sticks from trees for the roof. Over these they put scraws and over this again they put tatch. In some of the houses there was one small window but in more there was none. There was always a bed in the kitchen called a "cailleac" or the out shot. It was always at the back wall near the fire. The hearth used to be at the gable.
    At that time it only took the people a day or two to build a house because all the neighbours would gather together to help build it. Some were gathering stones some more were building the house roughly. The people used to build the houses in a hallow, or against a bank. The bank served as the back wall and then they had only three walls to build. They were built with stones or sods and sometimes with both. The walls was about six or seven feet heigh. The "cailleac" was about six feet long and three ft. wide usually it was the old man or woman of the house that slept in the "cailleac". In some of the houses there was only one small kitchen but in most of the houses there was a long kitchen but in most of the houses there was a long kitchen and one room. The kitchen was about
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. objects
      1. man-made structures
        1. buildings
          1. residential buildings (~2,723)
    Language
    English