School: Listellick, Tráighlí

Location:
Listellick North, Co. Kerry
Teacher:
Domhnall Ó Súilleabháin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0442, Page 413

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0442, Page 413

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  1. XML School: Listellick, Tráighlí
  2. XML Page 413
  3. XML “Old Crafts - Brickmaking”

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  1. Long ago the way people used to make bricks here was; they used to dig off the black earth of a field now called the "Hay Seed-Field" in JohnM. O'Brien's Farm in Listellick. They used to keep digging off the black earth or surface until they reached the yellow earth.
    Then they dug up the yellow earth and they carefully picked out all the small stones and gravel. Then they spread and this yellow earth fairly thick and they poured water on it at the same time mixing it well with their shovels until it was plastic like mortar. Then they put it into brick moulds and spread it around the field to dry.
    When it was dry they made little heaps of it and then kilns. The way kilns were made was. They would make two walls of the brick about 20 feet long 1/2 foot wide and 5 feet high, then they used to cover in the space between the two walls with a roof of brick. They used to close up all openings with mortar. Underneath this arch they used to light turf fires. When the brick was well burned it was drawn into Tralee and sold to a Mr. O'Donovan who lived in the Square there. The price the people used to get from him was 6/- per hundred (cut). The great brick maker of this district was George Lucid.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. agents (~1)
      1. historical persons (~5,068)
    Language
    English
    Informant
    Michael O Brien
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    68
    Address
    Listellick North, Co. Kerry