School: Maigh Locha (Cailíní)

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1. Food in Olden Times (continued)

   

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   Vegetables - Cabbage and turnips were eaten. Water and meal were put down to boil in the same manner as for oaten bread. Cut-up turnips were then put into this. The juice of this was called "bruchán", and was often eaten with potatoes. In the month of March nettles were boiled and eaten. Three big meals were eaten of this during that month. A kind of plant called "bráiste" which grows on the edges of potato ridges were also cooked and eaten. During the season of ploughing many people were seen gathering a sort of weed called "blosgáins", after the plough. This was then roasted in the fire and eaten. This weed was mostly eaten during the famine period when the potato crop failed. "Flumery" was made from water and flour mixed together, and was eaten with potatoes.

   
   Food on special occasions.

   On Easter Sunday eggs were eaten.
   Colcannon was eaten on November's night. On Shrove Tuesday night pancakes were eaten. In very olden times a big feast of potatoes, cabbage and bacon were eaten on Ash Wednesday night. Young cocks were killed on Saint Martin's Day and the blood was sprinkled in every corner of the house. This was supposed to keep away bad-luck. This custom was also carried out on St. Michael's Day which occurs in September.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. products
      1. food products (~3,601)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Nora Keane

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Moylough, Co. Galway

   Informant

   Mrs J. Keane

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   65

   Address

   Moylough, Co. Galway