School: Drumshanbo (roll number 16846)

Location:
Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim
Teacher:
Cathal Ó Buadhacháin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0220, Page 289

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0220, Page 289

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  1. XML School: Drumshanbo
  2. XML Page 289
  3. XML “Thatching”

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  1. Thatching.
    The first thing a thatcher does when he is going to thatch his house is to go out through the fields and gather the rods. Then he dresses them and points each end of them, leaving them about two and a half feet long. They are called scallops. Next he cleans the straw. He thatches with either oaten, wheaten or rye straw.
    Then he places a ladder up to the house in such a way that it will not slip. Next he brings a bundle of straw, a bundle of scallops and a wooden mallet with him up the ladder. Then he puts on a layer of straw at the eave about eighteen inches wide. Then he scallops it and he drives the scallops down with a mallet. Then he puts on another layer above that and continued to do so until he reaches
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. economic activities
        1. trades and crafts (~4,680)
          1. thatching (~353)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Rita Hughes
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Breanrisk, Co. Longford