School: Mulhuddart (roll number 16675)

Location:
Mulhuddart, Co. Dublin
Teacher:
Tomás Ó Broin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0790, Page 103

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0790, Page 103

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  1. XML School: Mulhuddart
  2. XML Page 103
  3. XML “Thatching”

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  1. Thatching
    There are many thatched housesaround the village. Those houses are the very oldest in the district. Thatching is therefore an old craft carried on in Mulhuddart. The men who thatch the houses are Mr Blackburn, Mr Fay and Mr O'Neill. First of all straw is got and put in bundles and each straw is of the same length. Water is then thrown on the bundles of straw. Some of the old thatch is taken off before the thatching begins. The thatcher has generally a boy attending on him. The boy takes the straw and carries it on to the roof to the thatcher. The tools that are used are,the thatching rake, the thatching fork and scalops. A scalop is a crooked stick. The wood usually used for scalops is sally - rods. The man stays on the roof and the boy brings up the little bundles to him. Those little bundles are called "Wangles". He twists the wangles around the top of his thatching fork and pushes it into the old thatch. He thatches the roof into yards until the roof is thatched. There he
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. economic activities
        1. trades and crafts (~4,680)
          1. thatching (~353)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Dympna Carr
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Parslickstown, Co. Dublin
    Collector
    Kathleen Caffrey
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Mulhuddart, Co. Dublin