School: Sraith (roll number 16623)

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1. Local Forges (continued)

   

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   are in gurteeny. Lagans and callanans are in Woodford. Lagans and callanans people had been smiths for years before them. The forge is a thatched house with a log fire inside which the smith puts the irons to make the red and hot. The fire is on a stone flag and the handle of the bellows is at one side of the fire and the bellows itself is over the fire. The bellows is made from strong cloth.
   The smith uses an anvil, a hammer, a sledge and a bellows. The smith shoe horses, asses, but he does not shoe cattle. The smith repairs harrows and he puts iron bands on cars. The smith puts the iron bands on the cars in the open air, first he puts a fire down outside then he puts the irons into the fire to make them hot when they are wel hot he hammers them on the whell. It is said that forge water cure warts.

   Candle are made from fat of all kinds. They used to make candles from rushes long ago and lit them on the twelfth night. They lit twelve candles to represent the twelve apostles. Each person in the house would take a candle of their own and give it to the aposetles name and say the rosary around them whichever ones candle would go out first it is said that, that person would die first. they peeled them and dipped them in tallow. They make soap from fat also. The people made baskets from rushes long ago. The smiths made fire cranes long ago and they make them yet. The people long ago put the tallow into moulds. Moulds are made of tin and they are the shape

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)
            1. smithing (~2,389)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary Glasby

   Gender

   Female