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School: Dromad (roll number 16781)

Location:
Drumod, Co. Leitrim
Teacher:
Millicent "Nuabhroinn"
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0214, Page 036

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0214, Page 036

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  3. XML “The Care of Our Farm Animals”

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  1. The Care of Our Farm Animals

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    We have cows, pigs, calves, horses, cats and dogs at home. They have no names but we know them by their colours. When you are driving cows out to a field you say he up and you say to calves suck, suck. The byre is a large house with straw on the floor and a shore in the middle. The cows are tied to stakes put down in the ground and nailed up to a pole which is put across. They are tied by chains to the stakes. Sometimes a piece of rope is tied around the horns of a cow to keep her from thieving. Sometimes a piece of rope is put on their legs to keep them from thieving. A horse shoe is hung over the door to bring luck and on May eve people gather May flowers to put at the byre door because they say that fairies would come into the byre and dance and set the cows mad or old witches would milk the cows and take the butter off the milk.
    Horses
    We have a horse at home and when you are driving him you say gee up. The stable is a small house thatched with straw. The horse is tied to a stake by a chain. Sometimes a piece of rope is tied on the legs of a horse to keep him from thieving. A horse eats hay, potatoes and mangle every morning. A horse is shod by a smith. The smith first gets a piece of iron and puts it into the fire and when it is red hot he takes it out and makes it into a shoe. Then he cleans and pares the hoof and then nails on the shoe. Every Winter the horse is clipped. A horse shoe is put over the door of the stable to bring luck.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    History Edit
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. economic activities
        1. agriculture (~2,659)
          1. animal husbandry (~2,587)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Susan Crowe
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    14
    Address
    Drumod Beg, Co. Leitrim
    Informant
    James Crowe
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    66
    Occupation
    Farmer
    Address
    Drumod Beg, Co. Leitrim