School: Gortnessy (roll number 7235)
- Location:
- Gortinessy, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: M. Nic Sheáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1030, Page 353
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- XML “The Local Forge”
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- There are three forges in the parish. The smiths are Elliott, Johnston, and Burton by name. Their people before them were smiths. There is one forge in the townland of Drumawark on the side of the Castlederry Road. The other two are in the town of Pettigo. They are not near any cross-roads.
There is a fire in the forge in Drumawark and many iron implements. The names of them are, sledge hammers, punches, tongs, and a special kind of knife for pairing the horses’ hooves. The bellows are at the back of the fire and there is a wooden handle on them, the handle is moved up and down and it sends air into the fire and the fire lights quickly. The roof is made out of boards with felt on top of them. The door is wide and black in colour. The inside of the forge is white-washed. There is one fire place in it and there is water in a trough in front of the fire to cool the shoes before they are put on the horses’ hooves. The smith shoes horses and asses but not cattle. He does not make farm implements but he repairs broken ones. He makes gates, crooks, and many other things.
- Collector
- Ernest Crawford
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Cullion, Co. Donegal
- Informant
- Ernest Crawford
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Cullion, Co. Donegal
