School: Tighmhanach (roll number 15715)
- Location:
- Tivannagh, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Mrs E. Jordan
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0234, Page 304
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- There are three forges in the town of Boyle. The man that works in them is called a smith. His people before him were smiths. The forge is a small house with a black roof on it. There are two half-doors on it. The tools he uses are the bellows, the anvil, a small hammer and a big sledge. He works the bellows with a handle when he wants to light the fire. He shoes horses and asses. He mends ploughs, carts and other farm implements. This is the way he makes a shoe. He puts a piece of iron in the fire and when it is red hot he takes it out and leaves it in the anvil. Then he puts a round shape on it and he bores holes in it to put in the nails. The smith and his sons are very sturdy. They are kept very busy during frosty weather putting in frost-nails in horse's hoofs to keep the horses from falling. When they have to 'shoe' carts they do the work at the edge of the Boyle river. The owners of the carts bring in the turf to make the fire for heating the iron.
