School: Páirc an Iarla (roll number 9303)

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1. Churning

   

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   The churn we have at home is called a machine churn. We have it about twenty years. It is shaped round on both sides, flat on the back and front. There is also two feet under it. My mother does the churning, and when she is away my sister and I do it. If anyone comes in while we are churning, they always help in this work. Some say this is for fear they would bring the butter. Some people put a coal on a tin under, and throw a pinch of salt into it. Other people throw holy on it. All these things are only pishreogs. But the old people believed in them. The coal was to keep it warm while they were churning.
   In summer we put cold water in it. This is to keep it cool. Because if we didn't do this it would be soft, and we wouldn't be able to gather it.
   In winter we put hot water on it because we couldn't churn it if we didn't.
   It takes about a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes to churn it. It takes another quarter to make it up and salt it. My mother looks into it now and again to see if it is churned. Then gives it a rolling motion from side to side until it is gathered. Then she takes out the butter into a wooden dish, and drains all the water out of it and puts salt on it. She mixes it back and forth for a while then she puts it into pounds.

   

   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

   Norah Colohan

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   12

   Address

   Beagh (Brabazon), Co. Roscommon

   Informant

   John Colohan

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Beagh (Brabazon), Co. Roscommon