School: Cill Tormóir (Kiltormer) (Buachaillí)
- Location:
- Kiltormer, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Pádhraic Ó Muineacháin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0056, Page 0367
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- ThatcherIn Ireland long ago it was thatched roofs that were on the houses in town and country. It was customary at that time for men to go around from place to place earning their living by thatching. In this district there still remains a thatcher who earns his living that way. His name is Micheal Fallon. He selects the best straw out of the cock first. Then he goes to the wood and cuts hazel scallops to stick in the thatch to keep it in it's place. He starts thatching by putting a thick layer of straw at the eve. Then he keeps putting up layers of straw after one another until he goes to the ridge. When he has the two sides of the house finished he makes a number of knots out of the loose straw along the ridge. These are called bobbins and prevent the rain from coming in. Those act the same as ridge-tiles on a slatted house. When he has all this finished he clips the loose straw off the eve so that his work will look nice and neat.MIcheal Greany, Kiltormer, Ballinasloe.
- Collector
- Michael Greany
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Kiltormer, Co. Galway
