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School: Cnoc na Biolaraighe

Location:
Watergrasshill, Co. Cork
Teacher:
Dll. Mac Carrthaigh
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0382, Page 091

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0382, Page 091

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  1. XML School: Cnoc na Biolaraighe
  2. XML Page 091
  3. XML “Turf Cut in the Watergrasshill District”
  4. XML “Old Methods of Threshing and Winnowing Grain”

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  2. Old Methods of Threshing and Winnowing Grain

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    Long ago before the horse power threshing engine came into use the people used to thresh the corn with flails.
    Two men used to do this with two flails. First they used to put two sheaves across one another; then they used to have every second blow until all the corn was out. The flail consisted of two stick's each stick being five feet long and they were tied together with a fong commonly called a gad. When they used to be working this they used to swing it over their head twice and then hit the sheaf. Then they used to winnow the oats with a bouran. This was made of sheep or goats skin fastened to a sally stick in the form of a circle. The corn could not be winnowed except on a dry and windy day. The person that used to hold the bouran of oats should stand upon a chair and leave the oats drop down and then the wind would blow away the chaff; and if the oats were dirty it should be winnowed a couple of times. At that time the price of the oats never exceeded more than 3/6 per cwt, until the time of the Boer War 1899.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    History Edit
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. economic activities
        1. trades and crafts (~4,680)
        2. agriculture (~2,659)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    James Curtin
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Watergrasshill, Co. Cork
    Informant
    Mrs Twomey
    Relation
    Relative (other than parent or grandparent)
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    60
    Address
    Skahanagh South, Co. Cork