School: Scoil an Chlochair, Na Gleanntaí (roll number 10165)
- Location:
- Glenties, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: An tSr. M. Deuglán
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1051, Page 21
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- In olden days the people knew nothing about wax candles. The light they used was got by peeling a rush and soaking it in melted fat. They made dozens of these at a time and then put them in a cool place to harden. Then they were ready for use when they hardened.
People would get the white of a rush and peel the skin of it. They would melt butter or fat, and they would soak the rushes in it. They would leave it to harden. They would peel it sloping at the top so as to make a wax top in it to light.
That is the way candles were made long ago. One of them would last about a quarter of an hour. They used to make a number of them at a time that would last for a week.
- Collector
- Úna Ní Mhaoláin
- Gender
- Female
