There was a nail maker in Mount-Bellew called Tom Fury. He made his living by making nails as he was a nail-maker by trade.
He had a small anvil, a bellows, a hammer and a coal fire on the hearth. He used rod iron for making the nails. He worked two pieces of this iron at the same time. While he was working with one piece the other piece was heating. Therefore he lost no time.
There iis an old saying which is repeated to busy people "You are as busy as a nailer". Tom Fury had a nail cutter and when the iron was red he got the cutter and cut a piece off. Then he pointed the nail and cut it to the required length.
He had a box under the cutter and the nails dropped into it.
The nails were sold by the pound and the bigger the nail was the dearer the