School: Coill-Chéim (roll number 9044)
- Location:
- Calhame, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Seán Mac Cuinneagáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1038, Page 55
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- XML “Food in Olden Times”
- XML “Stories of Giants and Warriors - Fionn's Finger-Stone”
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- (continued from previous page)It wasn't usual for people to eat late at night. Different kinds of food were used to suit the different seasons.
For instance, they used fish during Lent and all Fridays of the year. On Halloween they used to make Boxty bread. This bread was made from potatoes and flour. First they used to take the skins off the potatoes, then they used to grate them on a tin, covered with holes. This tin was called a grater. Afterwards they used to stew the water out of them with a cloth, and mix together with some flour. Then the mixture was flattened out in a circular shape and put on to fry on a pan.
In olden times Christmas was a great time of feasting. They used to kill and eat geese, turkeys, hares, rabbits and (all) sometimes goats. Tea was used for the first time about forty years ago. Bowls and pandies were used most commonly before cups came into vogue.
- Long ago when Fionn Mc Cool and his companions were hunting the wild deer in Connacht they came to a little house which was built under the shadow of a high cliff. Being tired and hungry they thought they would get something to eat in it. Upon knocking at the door it was opened by an old woman who inquired what they wanted. Upon learning that they were hungry and thirsty she invited them inside and set a fine meal before them. When they had eaten and drunk their fill they returned out again. Great was their surprise to find another group of warriors sitting on the green outside the house. Fionn recognised their leader as his old(continues on next page)
- Informant
- P. Mc Closkey
