School: Baile an tSagairt (roll number 13985)

Location:
Ballysaggart, Co. Donegal
Teacher:
Prionnsias Ua Coilín

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Food

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1039, Page 75

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In olden times the people of the district ate only two meals as such. They were called the breakfast and the dinner.

The time of the day at which the breakfast was eaten varied according to the sort of work on which the people were employed at any particular time.
When the men folk were employed at farming the breakfast was usually eaten between nine and ten o clock in the morning—that is after they had worked a few hours in the fields.
When employed at fishing the breakfast might be earlier or later than 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. according as the fishermen arrived home before or after the hours mentioned.
But at the latter pursuit they might be working (on the sea) from 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. and the time of their arrival home at the quay was determined by the particular type of fishing they were at or the length they had to row to get those fish.
However they invariably worked for some time before breakfast. Breakfast consisted of oaten bread or oaten porridge and milk. At the times when oaten bread was used fresh fish were often eaten.
Dinner was eaten between five and six o clock in the evening. It consisted of potatoes fish and milk.
Fishing is one of the principal occupations of the people so

(continues on next page)
Informant
Bill Wilson
Gender
male
Age
70
Address
Ballysaggart, Co. Donegal
Informant
Tom Mc Neely
Gender
male
Age
76
Address
Ballyederlan, Co. Donegal
Language
English