School: Sliabh na Cille (roll number 14513)
- Location:
- Slievenakilla, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Peadar Mac Fhlannchadha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0206, Page 425
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- XML Page 425
- XML “Food in Olden Times”
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- People in olden times had three means a day, namely breakfast, dinner and supper. Breakfast generally consisted of oatmeal porridge or stirabout and buttermilk. The houses of the richer usually had oatmeal bread, eggs and newmilk. This latter was considered a luxury and only in the houses of the very well-to-do people was it given.
Dinner consisted of potatoes, cabbage and bacon. All bacon used in olden times was home-cured. Supper mostly consisted of potatoes and milk with salt herring or eel. The people seldom or never partook of more than three meals per day. The time for supper varied. In the busy working season supper was served soon after quitting work; in the winter they were not exact what time supper was served up to 12 pm. People worked sometimes for 2 hours in the morning before having food. Breakfast was taken about 10am, dinner at 2pm and supper time varied as stated above. Milk was drunk in plenty including buttermilk, mixed milk, which was a blend of buttermilk and new-milk, and new milk.
The people sat around on the middle of the floor and ate their meals of a losstt (losad). The lossett was made of wicker work like a basket(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Mr Sylvester Maguire
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 68
- Address
- Urbal Barr, Co. Leitrim
