School: Gortnessy (roll number 7235)
- Location:
- Gortinessy, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: M. Nic Sheáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1030, Page 328
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- XML “Old Crafts - Basket-Making”
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- When my father is going to make a basket he cuts some willow or hazel rods but the willows are the best. He leaves them for a good while before he makes the basket. He cuts thin rods for a basket and thick ones and thin ones for a “creel”. He peels the rods for a basket but he leaves them in their natural state for making a “creel”. First of all he makes a round ring with a thick rod and then he puts more thick ones across it and curves them into the right shape and he twists the thin rods in and out between them. The baskets are used for carrying turf and potatoes. The “creels” are used for bringing turf out of the bog when the ground is wet and donkeys are used instead of horses. The people put mats on the donkey. the [sic] mats are made out of straw and covered with a sack. They are put on the donkey’s back to keep the “crutch” from hurting it. The “crutch” is made out of a stick and there ware two handles on it. The “creels” are put on the handles on each side of the donkey’s back.
- Collector
- Ernest Crawford
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Cullion, Co. Donegal
- Informant
- Mr J. Elliott
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 48
- Address
- Drumawark, Co. Donegal
