School: Lathach Barr

On this page

1. Houses in Olden Times

   

   Share Share Post

   My great great grandfather Jack Gallagher lived in the townland of Rathneeny Barr a little over a hundred years ago.
   His house was built in the following manner. It was built with stone mixed with blue clay and roofed with bog oak which was raised in the bog near by, scraws were laid on the oaken beams and all was thatched with straw or rushes and scalloped with rods and briars. It consisted of two rooms a bed room and kitchen. The room was about twelve feet long, by twelve feet wide. The kitchen was made about sixteen feet long, wich [sic] was called an outshot, that was a place built out in the side wall near the fire place for a kitchen bed which was a necessity in every house at that time. About eight feet down the side wall a heavy oaken beam was laid across from one wall to the other, this was what was called a revel tree. The remaining part of the kitchen was for the cows and fowl. Stakes for the cows were fastened to this revel tree, a gripe

   (continues on next page)

   

   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

   Moira Mc Girr

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Ballykillowen, Co. Donegal