School: Maigh Locha (B.) (roll number 13851)
- Location:
- Moylough, Co. Sligo
- Teacher: Pádhraic Ó Braonáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0170, Page 0020
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- XML School: Maigh Locha (B.)
- XML Page 0020
- XML “Forts”
- XML “Churning”
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On this page
- (continued from previous page)dun, and ring.
Some people see lights, going from one fort to another, and some others hear music in the forts.
- The woman would know when the churning was made by the size of the little bits of butter on the lid.
She then "took out" the butter, washed it, and salted it. It was then "packed" in a "firkin", and each successive roll or meascain was placed in the firkin until it was filled. This took about 6 or 8 weeks in summer.
The firkin was a little barrel made of oak, bound with sally rod hoops and held from 6 to 7 stones of butter.
The butter was then taken to market & sold. Before it was bought it was augered & the butter graded. If it was uniform in colour & sweet of taste, it was marked 1st quality. If not 2nd or 3rd quality. I frequently took butter to the butter market in Sligo for sale, and was always glad when I got 1st grade.
The churns & firkins were made by a cooper. There is a cooper a neighbour of mine, he makes churns still, but very few firkins. But firkins were in common use here until about 30 years ago.(continues on next page) - Collector
- Patrick Brennan
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Cashel South, Co. Sligo
