School: Doire na Cathrach, Dúnmaonmhuighe (roll number 13543)

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1. Churning

   

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   In the olden days people had a very slow method of churning, as they didn't have barrells like the people have nowadays. they had a churn called "the dash churn" or it was better in Irish as (an mhaoí) The churns varied in size, but generally they were about three feet high, and round in shape about three feet in circumference at the bottom, and sloping to a circumference of about a foot and a half at the top. They had a round cover for the top with a hole in the centre, they had a stick called "the staff" to fit in this hole with a beater at the end of it.
   This staff was worked upwards and downwards with the hand and in cold weather it took about an hour before the butter was made. They would know when it was made by the noise of the buttermilk: they would then take it out with the hand, and generally small farmers would join together and fill what they called a firkin. These firkins would hold about sixty lbs. of butter and when they had it full they took it away to the weigh-house in Cork city and got paid for it there. The next farmer would have it next week and so on.
   Some people were very supersticious about this churning. If a stranger came in while the butter

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. agriculture (~2,659)
            1. butter and churns (~3,280)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary Teresa Hurley

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Derrynacaheragh, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Mr Patrick Hurley

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Derrynacaheragh, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Mrs Hurley

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   74

   Address

   Shiplough, Co. Cork