School: Carrigeencor (roll number 10826)
- Location:
- Carrigeencor, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Mrs Annie Gillmor
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0200, Page 045
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- XML School: Carrigeencor
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- XML “Thatching”
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- Long ago most of the houses were thatched, but within the last five years, thatched houses are rapidly disappearing. In the olden days every man could thatch, but now-a-days there are only a few real good thatchers in this district. George Jamison Bohey, Robie Jamison Bohey, Phelim Mac Morrow Gortgarrigan, Johnny Silberry Bohey all are very good thachers. Phelim Mac Morrow can't thatch now as he has lost his eyesight, but he was a famous thatcher. Of course the out offices are still thatched with rushes. The dwelling houses are thatched with "keib" (a kind of grass which grows on Benbow. When it is growing in the Spring and Summer, if children walked on it barefooted it would cut their feet it's so sharp. It's about 1-1/2 feet high. It gets loose in the ground in Winter, and can be collected by raking or pulling with the hand). The thacher starts at the "easen" (the part of the roof next the wall) and works up to the rigging in "streaks." Each "streak" is about 1 ft in width. He gets as much "ceib" straw as will do the "streak" in width and spreads it evenly across taking care to have the ends of the straw even next the "easen." Then he leaves a scollop across the straw about 3/4 way(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Mrs Annie Gillmor
- Gender
- Female
- Occupation
- Múinteoir
