School: Liath-Mhuine

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1. Food in Olden Times

   

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   In former times the people did not use the same food as we use now because it was not to be obtained in the Country. So they generally lived on the crops which they grew on their own farms.

   They ate potatoes at nearly every meal and when they did not use potatoes they ate stir-a-bout. This was frequently made from Indian-meal and some of the poor people who could not afford a cow and had no milk made sugán. This was made by getting some boiling-water and oat-meal and boiling it on the fire for a minute or two. Then they placed it on a window for some time to cool and when cool they used it with stir-a-bout for milk. They also drank it with potatoes when they had nothing better.

   They used oat-bread and barley-bread as any other kind was not heard of the. Tea was not to be got in those anchient times. They drank milk with this bread or often-times they used mead which was a drink made out of honey.

   There is a story told about a very poor family. When they had the oat bread made the woman of the house buttered it for the family and when buttered she scraped it off again so that barely the taste of butter was on the bread. This was done to spare it for the next turn.

   People ate three meals in the day and in the morning the man went out working without eating. They worked away until the women had the stir-a-bout ready. The people also

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. products
      1. food products (~3,601)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Linda Gibson

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Rathlee, Co. Sligo