School: Swords (B.) (roll number 755)
- Location:
- Swords, Co. Dublin
- Teacher: A. Hamill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0789, Page 28
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- Old Crafts
There are many old Irish trades and industries which are fast drying out. Foremost among them were candle basket and soap making spinning weaving and clay pipe making.
The latter is still carried on alough on a very small scale. Most of the pipe smokers now smoke gear pipes but there are still a few old men who smoke clay pipes.
These old pipes are called "clay" pipes because they are made from clay which was to be found in bounty Derry. The clay in Derry ws not sufficient and it had to be brought from France.
In every village in Ireland there were at least three or four pipe makers and it was every man's aim to have a good pipe.
So many pipes were needed because they were so easily broken.
The pipes were made by burning the clay until it was made into blocks out of these blocks were cut the pipes.
The clay pipes are not so much used now, partly because during the war the clay could not be got from France and the market went down, partly because they could not be carried without been broken and partly because of the danger of cancer.
Written by: John De Largy senior
Told by: John De Largy junior
- Collector
- John de Largy
- Gender
- Male
- Informant
- John de Largy
- Relation
- Parent
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 50
