School: Sean-Chill

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1. Rush Candles

   

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   In making rush candles the green bark was stripped off first except a little on one side. They were then cut about a foot long with a scissors. They used to make about three candles out of every rush. They were then tied in bunches with about fifty in each. The bundles were tied with the stripped skin. They sometimes made ropes of the waste skins. The bundles were put up to dry in a loft near the fire to season. When perfectly dry they were steeped in tallow. There was a grisset in every house for this purpose. The grisset was made of metal in the shape of a little trough with the handle in the side like a pan. The grissel had pointed ends just like a row boat. It usually had three feet to stand on the floor.
   In making candles they used to put tallow in the grisset and melt it on the fire same as when frying bacon. When the tallow was melted they used to dip the rush in it and lay it aside. The tallow would then set. They used to do as many at a time as would last a few nights. They had a special candlestick then. It had a screw to allow the candles to be raised as required. When the candle was burned out they used to put in a fresh one.
   On the Twelfth Night they used to light twelve rush

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)
            1. candle-making (~728)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   R. O' Connell

   Address

   Kilkerrin, Co. Galway

   Informant

   Thomas Brennan

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   72

   Occupation

   Smith

   Address

   Annaghbeg, Co. Galway