School: Inis Uí Dhrisceoil, An Sciobairín

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1. Lights

   

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   When I was about ten years old bog-deal splinters were used as lights on the island. They were sold in the town of Skibbereen and usually on Saturdays the people used to go to town & bring home a week's or a fortnight's supply.
   The sticks of bog-deal used to be split into splinters which were about the thickness of wheaten straw. The splinters used to be stuck in the gable wall near the fire. They used to be lit while the supper was being prepared and eaten.
   When I was about fifteen or sixteen years of age I saw the old people melting the livers of skate, or codfish, or ling, and the oil thus obtained used to be kept in an old jar or handy vessel. They used to buy shallow vessels (slighthe) in Skibbereen at that time. These vessels were filled with the fish oil and a strip of calico or an old rag soaked in the oil was placed in the "slighthe". One end hung out over top of

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. buildings
            1. residential buildings (~2,723)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   John Mc Carthy

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   73

   Address

   Inishodriscol, Co. Cork