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School: Gaddyduff (roll number 16642)

Location:
Gaddyduff, Co. Donegal
Teacher:
P. H. Kavanagh
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1121, Page 88

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1121, Page 88

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  3. XML “How the People Lived when my Grandfather was Young”

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  1. How the People Lived when my Grandfather was Young (continued)

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    shoulders and reached home at six o'clock. So he harrowed a field of corn from that to night. On the horses they put rod slipes and big finogs. When they would be going to the strand they would take a bag and fill it with sand and throw it across the horse's back. The usual crops grown was lint and potatoes and some corn. Women and men pulled the lint and sheared the corn. They had gatherings often. It is said that four men sheared an acre in a day. No scythes were used then, they had hooks. Their turf spades were just like the ones that we use now only they had the horn of a cow or a bullock on as a head. They used to cut one turf at at time and in this way there was no need for a holer.
    Long ago all the men worked at the Glen house for a shilling a day. They worked at trenching. Every man would have to take his own food with him the oaten bread and sweet milk. When they they were paving pinch road the women carried stones in their aprons and got sixpence a day. A lot of men used to hire for a year and the biggest pay they would get was four pounds. The wee fellows would not get to school; they were hired as soon as they reached the age of five years. Boys about fourteen would get from one pound to thirty shillings.
    The houses were built of dry stones without any cement. Then they would get two couples and a lot of ribs all made of fir. After that they would put on scraws and then rushes. Then it was being tied with straw ropes. They never built any chimneys only a little hole to let out the smok. They hadn't any windows only those of one pane and they were very small. This was caused by the taxes
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    History Edit
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Patrick Quigley
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    13
    Address
    Gortnahunshion, Co. Donegal
    Informant
    Mr Quigley
    Relation
    Parent
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    56
    Address
    Gortnahunshion, Co. Donegal