School: Liathdruim (roll number 1125)

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1. Old Houses (continued)

   

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   Arigna mines. It has to be mixed with wet daub, and formed by hand into briquettes of a round or, oval shape. These need a little dry turf or wood underneath them to kindle them, and make a very warm and lasting fire.

   The method of lighting the house at night was quite different in the old days from what it is today. Splinters of bog-deal were used by poor people living near bogs, where the old deal trunks were to found by digging in the peat. Rush candles were very common then, and the moulds for making them are still to be found in some houses in this locality. The freshly cut rushes were first peeled and dried, and this dried "pith," was dipped several times in a shallow dish or basin of melted fat, until the candle was of sufficient thickness. Candles were also made by dipping home-made wicks of wollen threads in a vessel of melted mutton fat. Such candles spluttered when burning, and the grease caused by the lighted wick kept dropping continually. These candles were not satisfactory, for the burnt portions of the wick had to

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. buildings
            1. residential buildings (~2,723)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary Ryan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Leitrim, Co. Leitrim