School: Durrus, Bantry (roll number 13023)

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1. Churning

   

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   At present we have no churn at home as there was a creamery build adjacent to Durrus four or five years ago, therefore the majority of the farmers of this locality take their milk there. The churn which we had was about four feet high and it was of a circular shape resembling a barrel. This was placed on a stand regularly , on thursday when the churning was performed. The churning was performed once a week in summer and once a fortnight in winter.

   When churning operations are being performed strangers who are passing usually come in and help at the work or if this is not done it is considered very unlucky. There is a story told in this district about an old woman who is now dead. One day she was churning and a stranger came in and went to the fire and put a coal in his pipe to light it. He then proceeded to go out again, but the woman stopped him and told him to put the coal back again in its place, as it was unlucky to take anything out of the house without first helping at the churning.

   It is by hand churning is done and it takes about an hour to do so. People who had but a few cows used a smaller churn than the

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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

   Sarah Dukelow

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Clashadoo, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Charles Dukelow

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Clashadoo, Co. Cork