School: An Druipseach

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1. The Planting of Potatoes up to Forty Years ago in this District (continued)

   

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   or hacked as it was called.
   These ridges were levelled with an implement called a grafán, after which the skillanes were "stuck", and the holes made by the spade used for "sticking" as it was called were closed with a wooden implement called in West Cork a smachtín. This smachtín was really a rectangular block of wood from 15 to 20 inches long 3 to 4 inches wide and about 3 inches deep with a wooden handle inserted at right angles into a hole in the side.
   I have heard it said that men were known "hack" and "stick" a quarter of ground in a day. These were the giants of rural Ireland whose working day extended from dawn to dark. Their toil can be explained further by stating that they were generally poor workmen, living in a hut or a form, for which they had to give the farmer "so many days work per week".
   This was the phrase usually employed. With the house, the workman got a plot of ground from the farmer for a garden to grow potatoes, and in order to keep his bargain with the farmer, he was forced to work doubly hard doing his own work.
   Potatoes are also planted in flat drills as they are known in West Cork, and have been so for the past thirty years, but that custom is unknown

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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. potatoes (~2,701)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mr E. RIng

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Magooly, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Mr John Riordan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Lissacresig, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Mr Tim Ring

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Magooly, Co. Cork