School: Carraig Áluinn (roll number 16.474)

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1. Old Crafts (continued)

   

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   to prevent the flan from rising to the top of the water. Then the water was allowed to flow in above and until the flan was completely covered. It was left in this position for about 3 weeks. This was called "retting." Then the water was allowed to drain off at the other end and the flan was lifted. At this time the smell from the water and from the flan was very strong and people with weak stomachs could take no part in the work. The sheaves were opened and the stalks were placed lying on short grass in rows just like swaths of light meadow grass. The length of time it lay there depended upon the sort of weather which came. In wet weather it had to be left for a longer period than in dry weather. Then it was pounded with [?] like light rollers of wood to make it limber and was afterwards scutched. This work was carried out in the farmer's house. A number of boys and girls collected on a certain night and scutched all the flan the farmer had. I cannot describe accurately how the scutching was done but some sorts of combs were used to split up the fibres, remove the "shoves" and to convert the whole mass into something like coarse wool. It was then made into short hanks called "hanks of yarn". These spun into threads on a spinning wheel and the threads were woven into cloth. It was then bleached in the sun.

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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)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Ed Kieran

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   Over 70

   Address

   Kivvy, Co. Leitrim